


Through the Veil

by Lightfeather



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: F/M, Strange Magic+Brigadoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-11
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 20:56:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4114668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightfeather/pseuds/Lightfeather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marianne is a common, bookish fairy with a taste for adventure, who learns that the veil between her world of sunlit fields and the deep mysterious dark forest becomes thin and passable for three nights once every hundred years. The time is almost upon her and she waits for the first rays of moonlight to strike the barrier, allowing her entry into a world she’s only heard rumors about. From everything she’s read, no one who has tried to cross has ever been seen again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leaving the Light

**Author's Note:**

> BUM BUM BUUUUUUM… /dramatic hamster

Marianne sat in the center of a large white daisy with her legs crossed. She held a brown satchel in her lap filled with provisions, a field journal, some glow-stones, a small sparkling rock she found by the creek when she was a child and a few other traveling necessities. Around her waist, she wore a belt with a special loop to latch the scabbard of her dirk. It hung to just above her knee and she was quite handy with it. The daisy swayed gently in the wind and the sun was warm on her back, casting long shadows before her. She slowly opened and closed her large, wine-colored wings, soaking up as much of the waning light as she could. Even so, she felt a chill as she intently watched the border between the sunlit fields of her land and the unexplored lands of the Dark Forest.

It was known to all that the border between the two realms was sealed by magic, though the reason for the sealing was lost to time. What was lesser known, and only recently discovered by Marianne a month prior, was that the veil between their worlds was not entirely solid all of the time. There would be a moment, soon, where she would be able to step across. She glanced behind her at the setting sun and felt a small trill of excitement.

For three nights, once every hundred years, the barrier will soften and allow passage as long as moonlight touches the veil. Upon the sunrise of the third day, it will re-solidify for another hundred years.

Marianne spent hours in the library pouring over old dusty tomes looking for anything she could about the land beyond the veil, but there was only speculation, and warnings. Few have tried the crossing in their known history, but in every case, the explorer never returned. The pull of her curiosity was stronger than all the cautionary tales and threatening stories she heard or read about.

The sun was nearly set now. Marianne stood, slung her satchel over her shoulder and tipped gently forward with wings outstretched to glide silently towards the veil. She landed near a large briar root that had overgrown the soil in an arch directly on the border, and gently folded her wings protectively behind her.

Stepping up to the archway, she extended her hand forward experimentally and felt resistance. It wasn't a solid feeling, like putting a hand on wood or rock, but more like an invisible push. She used to have a set of sky-stones and the sensation was similar. If you turned them one way, they would pull towards each other and stick together and would resist being pulled apart, but if you flipped one of them around, it was nearly impossible to make them touch. Pushing on the boundary made her feel like a flipped around sky-stone trying to force her way to another.

Intrigued, she pulled out her field journal, a small box and a glow stone. Warming the stone in her hand caused it to begin emitting a pale light. The sun was mostly gone and it was too dark to see unaided. Using the light from the stone she opened up the small box and removed a thin bit of carved wood and a small vial of berry ink. She carefully opened the vial and dipped the thin piece of hollowed wood, carved to a fine point, into the dark blue liquid. She noted her observations about the veil on a fresh page of her journal, and then repacked it and the writing supplies while she waited for moonrise. Feeling a bit fearful, she kept the glow-stone handy.

The first rays of moonlight began filtering through the large trees of the Dark Forest, and as they struck the veil it shimmered and wavered, appearing less invisible now, and more like the delicate glistening skin of a soap bubble.

Marianne hesitantly pushed her hand forward again towards the barrier and it slid through with little resistance. It was like dipping into a pool of warm water. She felt the veil shift and move around her, ghosting over her skin. She stepped forward, closed her eyes and held her breath as she traversed the short distance to the other side. In only a few quick strides she felt the strange magic wash away from her face as if she were surfacing from a pool. The warmth was replaced by an unfamiliar coolness. She took a gasping breath and inhaled the heady scent of loamy, rich forest soil. The smells here were intoxicating! The magic flowed through her hair and over her scalp sending thrilling sensations down her spine. And then she was through. She'd done it. She crossed over!

She glanced behind her to see the veil shifting and undulating, disturbed by her passage. With a small shiver and a little flutter of her wings, she turned away from the land of her birth and stepped onto the overgrown pathway to journey deeper into this unknown land.


	2. Curiouser and Curiouser

Deep in the center of the forest there was a great castle carved out of a well preserved bog oak. Its massive branches curled every which way. Some reaching skyward, and others sloping down so low as to nearly touch the ground. It had been buried for thousands of years under the warm peat after having passed from this mortal coil. The iron salts and other minerals reacted with the tannins in the wood, preserving it and giving it a distinctive dark brown, nearly black color. The King of the Dark Forest discovered this rare prize and had it raised and reconstructed to fit his needs, and there he resides in his forest fortress, ruling over everything on this side of the veil.

He sat upon his throne of bone, a regal creature. Thin and insect-like, he was covered with tree-bark like scales that varied in size and color, from dark browns to soft greys. His head seemed to be sprouting dried leaves in a similar color scheme that started at his eyebrow line and covered his skull so that it resembled a closed artichoke flower. Massively scaled, articulated pauldrons, arched tall above his shoulders and provided much of the musculature which powered his four iridescent dragonfly wings. Wings, which at that moment were twitching in annoyance and softly rustling.

Two subordinate goblins had just rushed in with news. They appeared amphibious in nature, with gleaming moist skin, not that unlike a toad. Wingless, they ran about on short stubby legs which caused them to waddle a bit like penguins when they tried to move quickly. And they were moving very quickly now.

"News from the mushrooms, sire!" the smaller of the two announced, proudly. "The whale is at the beach!"

The larger minion sighed and reiterated. "Sire, what my imbecilic companion meant to say was; the veil has been breached. A smallish fairy has been spotted at the border and is at this moment traveling deeper into your forest. Your orders?"

The Bog King pondered this news. It's been over three hundred years since anything passed over the border and into his forest. Instead of anger, he felt deeply curious. Hopefully this did not end as badly as the last crossover. He stood and replied, "I'll handle this myself. Ready a room."

"Very good, sire," replied the larger minion. It bowed and left the throne room tugging the smaller minion along with it.

The Bog King grabbed his staff, tall and filigreed, with a pulsing amber gem affixed at the top, and flew quickly to intercept the not entirely unwelcome invader. He left the castle with the utmost haste for he was sure his brother had already been alerted and would be after the creature as well.

……

Marianne, having no idea her presence was already noticed, traveled along the pathway, stopping often to jot something in her journal. Unusual fungi grew everywhere, and she could swear they moved when she wasn't looking. She sat down in front of one and piled a few charged glow-stones around so she could sketch it before moving along. She looked away for a second to get another vial of ink from her satchel and when she looked back, the mushroom was tilted at a different angle! Frustrated she put her things away and kept walking.

For being a "dark forest" there was a lot of ambient light around. Glowing lichen grew on tree trunks and rocks, creating earthly constellations of eerie green light. She scraped a little off a nearby tree and stored the sample in a small wooden preserving container that was magicked with a stasis spell. Her father had given her a set of them as a gift on her sixteenth nascency day. She ran her thumb over the warm wood that he had lovingly carved and felt a pang of sorrow. She missed him dearly.

She noted the sound the wind made as it rustled through the tall trees. With so many trees so close together, the sound was like a crowd whispering to her, but no matter how hard she strained, she could not make out any words. Having grown up in wide open fields full of flowers and grasses, along with the occasional cottonwood tree, she was unused to this sound and it was hypnotic. Mesmerized, she tried to describe it as best she could.

Insect sounds were also prevalent. She couldn't identify many of them, as they probably didn't exist outside of the dark forest, but the din was comforting even though the sounds were different. She was used to hearing the calls of insects in her land as well. "Different, but the same," she whispered to herself.  

More concerning were the sounds of night birds, and the high pitched screech of bats in the distance. Light or dark, predators were predators and she was just the right size for a snack. She thought it was time to start looking for someplace to nest for the night. She'd have the whole day to explore and she didn't want to do it exhausted.

With so much dense foliage blocking much of the sun, the forest floor was much cooler than the grasslands. She shivered and mentally kicked herself for not thinking about making something warmer to wear. All of her summer clothing consisted of light flower petals and woven grasses. She was warm enough on her side of the veil. Well, no use worrying about it now.

Looking for a safe place to sleep in unfamiliar territory, in the dark, was very difficult. It was getting late though, and she was not used to staying up past sundown. Yawning and exhausted she finally found a small knothole in a tree that wasn't occupied. She grabbed armfuls of shed pine needles from the forest floor and piled them up in her little space. She ate a few bites of a honeyed travel biscuit, curled up and fell fast asleep.

While she slept her skin began to glow. Her hiding place became a pinprick of golden light against the velvety dark canvas of the night. A beacon in the darkness.

It would not go un-noticed for long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea where this is going. Welcome to my magic carpet ride!


	3. Captured!

A dark creature crept into the alcove where Marianne was sleeping. Long, clawed hands grabbed her roughly, one covering her mouth. The other snaked around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides and crushing her wings behind her. She struggled, sluggishly, fighting to throw off the yoke of sleep, as well as her attacker. She bit the hand covering her and kicked back violently, but it seemed unfazed. Her struggle was in vain, for her abductor was extremely strong and squeezed her tight enough to stall her breath.

"Stop struggling or I'll snap you in half," a deeply masculine voice threatened, then loosened his grip just enough so that she could inhale desperately through her nostrils.

She could not see him as her back was pressed tightly to his chest, but she could feel him and the moonlight filtering into the tree cast his shadow along the back wall. He was large, compared to her. Very tall with thin appendages, most of his bulk residing in his upper body. He had a spiky hard outer shell that was thankfully smooth where he crushed her against him. Four translucent wings spread behind him and he flew out of the temporary nest taking her with him.

"It's been such a long time," he crooned very close to her ear as they traveled up and over the treetops. He flew extremely fast and the wind tore at her as they sped through the sky. She was terrified but tried to work her arm back to free her dirk. She had very limited range of motion so even if she was able to get her fingers around the pommel, she wasn't free to pull it from the scabbard. She had no idea how to get herself out of this mess. All her things were back in the tree, it was very dark and she had no idea where she was or where this creature was taking her.

They flew for a while, past the sounds of falling water, over the endless forest. She tried to watch the stars to pinpoint what direction they were going so she could try and find her way back to the tree she nested in when he began to descend.

Just then, something large hit them mid-air. She heard a vicious snarl and a shouted curse, she was cut deeply on her right shoulder and something hard hit her in the side of the head causing her delicate pointed ears to ring. She cried out and thought she was going to die, when suddenly her captor howled in pain and she was falling out of the sky. Dizzy and half blind in the darkness she spread her wings to break her fall, wincing in pain as the muscles in her shoulder tensed in flight, pulling on the wound. She spiraled down into the trees.

In the distance above her, she could hear the sounds of the two wild beasts viciously tearing at each other. She found her way to the forest floor and flew as close to the ground as she dared, looking for cover. She saw a large briar patch and landed in front of it, folded her wings tightly against her body and crawled low to the ground under the thorny vines, going as deep as she dared for fear she'd not be able to find her way back out.

She sat there for what felt like ages, listening to them fighting until finally one cried out in pain and went silent. Her eyes were wide and dilated, trying to take in as much light as possible but it was still so very dark. She could only see shadows and half-things. The sound of her own breath was thunderous in her ears and her heart was beating wildly. She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself by taking deep, calming breaths. She felt the painful throb in her head, and the gash in her shoulder gave the illusion that she had two heartbeats. She put her hand to the sticky wound and pressed hard, trying to stop the bleeding. The pain was so great that her head swam and she passed out.

……

Marianne awoke to the sounds of birdsong, and dappled sunlight on her face. She was warm and comfortable, stretched lazily and let her eyes flutter open. She found herself staring at a dark wooden ceiling. Not thorns. Sitting up cautiously she discovered that her wounds had been tended and she was lying on a bed covered in fresh fuzzy mint leaves with a soft mossy coverlet pulled over her. She peeled up a mint leaf and found the bed was filled with fluffy bird down. The smell of gently crushed mint was extremely calming. She sat up and slid off the bed, realizing she was no longer in any pain and removed the soft bandages from her shoulder. She was surprised to find herself completely healed and ran her fingers carefully over the unblemished new skin.

She walked over to the window, pushed aside the delicately spun spider web curtains and looked out. The room she occupied was very high up and she could see over the treetops. They swayed gently in the wind and sounds of the forest drifted up to her. She rested her hands on the window sill and was intrigued by the smoothness of the wood. It was exquisite. It has been polished and buffed until it shone. Intricate designs were carved around the rim of the slightly domed ceiling. The room was spartan, containing just a bed and the one window, but everything was well cared for.

There was a knock at the door and Marianne's hand flew to her dirk but it had been removed. Before she could say a word, a small, strange looking creature entered with a tray of food. She appeared to be female, wearing a small green leaf dress, but was short and squat with tiny beady eyes and wide thin lips that wrapped all the way across her face, reaching nearly to her ears. She didn't have much of a neck and her straw-like reddish orange hair frizzed down to her shoulders. She didn't have much of a nose to speak of either, just two small nasal slits that appeared between her eyes and mouth. She looked like she had large horns at one point in her life, but now all that remained were the jagged broken stumps. Though her appearance was startling, she was cheerful and kind.

"Oh! You're up! Well that's a fine thing," she said, placing the tray directly on the bed. "Let's have a look at that shoulder, shall we?"

With no reason to be alarmed, Marianne knelt down to let the woman look her over and said, "Could you please tell me where I am?"

Confusion flit across the woman's face as she examined what was essentially a fully healed shoulder and replied, "This is the Bog King's castle. And oh! Where are my manners? My name is Griselda, and I am the Queen Mother." This was said proudly with a tiny flourish of her three fingered hands.

"Uh, hello… your majesty! I'm Marianne," she said with a nervous smile and tiny bow, then bluntly asked, "How did I end up here?"

"Well, my dear, I don't know all the specifics, but from what I heard you were in a pretty bad spot. You see, Geks, my _other_ son," she said distastefully, "had managed to get his claws on you, and that was bad news for you!"

Griselda muttered, "I don't know what went wrong with that one, I raised them both the same!"

She flapped her hands in frustration, "But that's neither here nor there. The good thing is Bog, the King of _all_ the Dark Forest and _my_ eldest son, was there to rescue you! He said he had to crawl through a briar patch to get you." She chuckled.

She reached up, put her hands on Marianne's arms and said, "But we are _so_ glad you're here. It's very exciting!" She gestured to the breakfast tray. "Please, have something to eat and then someone will be by shortly to bring you to speak with Bog."

Turning back to Marianne, she gently fingered the ripped petal tunic where the bleeding shoulder wound used to be and said, "Curious. Well, I've seen stranger things. I'll send you a change of clothing as well, so I can clean and mend this."

Marianne's stomach growled and she smiled. "Thank you very much for the rescue, and the hospitality!"

Griselda nodded and turned to leave when Marianne said, "Oh, before I forget. You wouldn't by any chance know where my weapon ran off to, would you?"

Griselda replied, "I'm sure Bog confiscated it… just in case. We had no idea what sort of thing you'd be as we don't see many like you around here, but you seem nice enough." Then she winked and left the room.

Marianne sighed and ate her breakfast, mentally cataloging all the new tastes and textures from the strange new foods. She really missed her field journal.


	4. Discovery

Griselda sent two of the Kings most faithful servants up to tend to Marianne. They arrived and delivered to her a tunic made from fresh green maple leaves. The two little minions turned their backs on her while she changed and introduced themselves. The smaller one also covered its eyes, just to be safe. The larger of the two, with the deep rumbling voice introduced herself as "Stuff" and the little one, with the mouth full of large uneven teeth, bounced up and down a few times before saying his name was "Thang". When Marianne had finished adjusting the new tunic to fit her, and fluttered her wings about to make sure they could move freely in this new outfit, she said, "Ok, you can turn around now."

Stuff turned and said, "Oh, Lady Marianne, Griselda's handiwork looks very nice on you."

"YOU LOOK VERY GREEN! I LIKE GREEN!" exclaimed Thang.

Stuff rolled her eyes at her companion, then offered her hand to Marianne. "If you please, my lady. The King is waiting."

Marianne took Stuff's hand and Thang happily leapt up to grab the other. Hand-in-hand with two of the strangest creatures she's ever seen, she walked bravely through the long hallway and down a very twisty staircase all the way to the throne room.

On the way, Thang said, "I like that smell." And sniffed a few times in Marianne's direction. Stuff put her palm against her face and shook her head.

"Oh, well… thank you, Thang. I think you're the first one to ever compliment me on my… smell," Replied Marianne, smiling down at him. She got an extra toothy grin in response.

……

They entered the large throne room and her escorts released her hands to scamper ahead and announce her arrival. As she approached the throne she had a mental fit about what she should do. She'd never met royalty before. Should she bow? Curtsey? Call him sire? She wrung her hands in agitation and raised her eyes to look upon the King of the Dark Forest. Gazing back at her were the piercing blue eyes of an ageless creature, the likes of which she has never encountered before.

Her knees buckled a little causing her to bob in an ungainly little curtsy before she could right herself. Unable to lower her gaze she said, "Your Majesty."

He nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched her clumsy attempt to show him respect. He appreciated the sentiment, if not the execution.

He appeared to be wounded. There were cuts on his face and discolorations on various parts of his body that didn't align with the rest of him. Bruises? There was a large bandage around his arm, similar to the one she had found around her shoulder when she woke up this morning. Wounded or not, he was an imposing figure.

In his right hand he held a regal looking staff that appeared to be a very straight tree branch carved out of some unknown metal. It was very long, had a curved bulb at the base and a wide decorative head comprised of curling vines with a large chunk of amber lashed to the center. At the very top there was a tightly closed lotus blossom bud.

He leaned forward a little, his iridescent wings vibrating with anticipation, and said, "Do you know, you glow when you're asleep?"

" _What?_ " She stared at him incredulously, and shook her head. "I certainly do not glow when I'm asleep! I'm sure someone would have said something to me at some point if I did."

"It's true," he replied nonchalantly. "When I found you unconscious, you lit up the whole briar patch. You were so bright, I almost couldn't find my way back to the castle with you in my arms. Practically blinding. I could almost _taste_ the magic rolling off you. It's no wonder my brother had no trouble finding you." He leaned back a little and banged his staff on the floor. "Tell me, do you know if others of your kind know about this?"

"No… not that I know of."

He paused, mulling this over, then asked, "Why did you come here?"

She thought about all the reasons she came. Her father was dead and her sister was married and busy with her own life. She felt alone, even when surrounded by others. Her best friends were _books_ for crying out loud. She had nothing to lose, really, by taking this risk and she was having the time of her life.

The Bog King watched her expression change and then she said, "Because I could."

She shrugged at the simplicity of her reason. He scowled at her, knowing there was more. He didn't trust her answer. He stood then, to his full height which was an intimidating sight and asked, "Do you know what happens to fairies that cross the border?"

She shook her head and looked appropriately frightened. This mollified him a bit.

"They become _dangerous_ ," he explained. "Every fairy that's ever crossed into the dark forest develops powers of some kind. The story is always the same but the powers are always different. You little flimsy things get here and bad things happen. You're so easily… _manipulated_." He curled his free hand into a fist, his long fingers moving deftly.

He opened his hand and then pointed at her. "It's been three hundred years since the last time one of you crossed. And every time it happens, wars are fought to claim you, to _use_ you. The last fairy who came was a fire starter. You can see how that would be a most powerful weapon in a _forest_." He tilted his head to the side with a quick frustrated jerk, causing spinal bones to crack loudly. "My brother managed to get that one, and he does not play nice with his toys."

By now Marianne was angry. She snapped at him. "My people know nothing of your lands or what happens here because _no one ever comes back_! How would we know? How _could_ we know? Maybe next time, shove one of us back across the border before it closes so we can relay your warnings." She put her hands on her hips and stared him down… well up, as the case may be.

The Bog King stepped down from his throne and crouched over so he was mere inches away from her face when he said, "Impossible! Could you imagine what would happen if your kingdom were to know? There would be an army of you miserable little cretins marching through here during the next weakening, causing chaos. The land I protect would be devastated by your people mass fumbling their magicks. Freezing streams, reversing gravity, causing the land to turn to salt." He made a disgusted snort at the very idea and stood back up.

He threw his arms in the air, raising his staff threateningly and yelled, "CHAOS! It would be utter chaos!"

Marianne sighed at his theatrics. "Well, have you figured out what I can do yet?"

He stopped short and dropped his hands to his sides and said, "No."

Just then Griselda poked her head around a potted plant and said, "I may have an idea about that!"

Bog rolled his eyes and said, "Hello, mother."

She brushed off his attitude and continued, "When you brought her in last night, she was beat up pretty good. Huge wound in her shoulder. Cuts and bruises everywhere. But look at her now!" She grabbed Marianne by the hands and spun her around.

She twirled involuntarily and almost fell, but Bog caught her in his arms and held her with care, examining her closely. She froze under his direct scrutiny, his clawed fingers gently pushing the shoulder of her tunic down so he could see the spot of the wound better. She held her breath for a heartbeat, then came to her senses and batted his hand away.

"I'm FINE. Just fine, thankyouverymuch." She backed away, adjusting her clothing.

"I can see that…" The King said, speculatively. "Can you do it, voluntarily?"

"Do what? _Heal_ something? I don't know. I apparently do it automagically when I sleep," she said.

"Try now." He held out his arm and removed the large bandage showing deep gashes, no longer bleeding, but looking angry and on the verge of infection.

"But I don't…"

"Just try."

She sighed and moved closer to him. "Should I wave my hands and say something special?" she quipped.

Griselda helpfully suggested that most healing magic requires touch to be effective.

Blushing furiously, Marianne reached out and put her hands on his wounded arm. She could feel the heat of it radiating off him. He winced, but only a little. Seeing him vulnerable like that gave her courage. She looked at the wound and thought healing thoughts at it. She chanted the word "heal" in her head over and over. She tried to imagine the wound knitting back together and closing up. After some time, she closed her eyes and just started to daydream. She thought of lots of things. About home, about her sister, about libraries full of books. She even thought about Bog for a moment, feeling her cheeks redden.  She thought about writing all of this in her field journal, and a smile played on her lips. She thought about all the new things she saw and was going to see on this wild adventure she was on.

She heard him gasp.

She opened her eyes. Her hands were on fire with a pale golden light which was flickering down and spreading over the Bog King's arm. His wound was mostly closed but she was startled and released her grip on him, holding her hands up in disbelief. The power faded from her, the light wisping and curling off the tips of her fingers before it disappeared completely. Her large amber eyes, wide with shock looked into his equally surprised blue ones.

He gripped her shoulders and said, "Do it again. How did you do it?"

"I… I just relaxed and thought about something… happy, " she confessed.

He smiled now and it was genuine. "And what, pray tell, is your happy thought?"

"My field journal!" she said, without hesitation. "I left it in the knothole of a tree close to the border when I was abducted. Could you help me get it back?"

The king scratched his face near a particularly itchy scab and said, "I think we can work something out."


	5. Strange Magic

The healing session was intense. Her body, while awake, was drawing reserves not only to keep her conscious and alert, but also to funnel magic from wherever she was tapping it from. It was exhausting. She felt like a candle being burnt at both ends. Sweat beaded on her brow as she worked to make him whole. As her magic probed his body, she was able to discover hurts that lay deeper within him. Old hurts. Her hands moved cautiously at first, but as time passed her confidence grew and she deftly maneuvered about his large frame with little regard for his personal space. She did not notice his intense gaze as he watched her work.

Such a little thing, he thought. Unafraid and honest. Hands roving over his body, touching him deeply in ways he's never felt before. A strangely intimate encounter. The ancient King of the Dark Forest was unnerved at her nearness and how oblivious she was of her effect on him. She concentrated on mastering her new gift, focusing on her work and not her subject. He sighed with pleasure as aches and pains, both new and old, ebbed away. She did not seem horrified by him, nor terrified of him. Her frank curiosity intrigued him. Suffering from intense bouts of curiosity himself, he knew all too well the trouble it usually lead to.

Most creatures feared him, or loathed him, and very few called him friend. He's overheard himself described as "grotesque" and "hideous", while only his mother has ever had anything nice to say about his appearance. Apparently, he has his father's smile. His eyes softened as he watched her. He felt suddenly protective of this lithe little being, who made him feel such things. His brother would not ruin this one. He curled his right hand into a tight fist and his face darkened.

She noticed him tense up and said, "I'm sorry, did that hurt?"

"Oh, no. No, no. It's… nothing. Carry on." And he quickly relaxed and shifted slightly in his seat.

She reached up to try and touch his face and he leaned back away from her in surprise. "What? What are you doing?"

"Your face. You have wounds on your face too," she said.

He brought his hand up to touch his face and winced when his rough fingers trailed over the cuts and abrasions that he had forgotten were there.

"May I?" She asked, reaching up to him.

He slowly bent forward and she gently took his face in her hands. Golden light licked over his skin, tingling as his flesh knit back together. He closed his eyes and another sigh escaped him.

She was flagging now. There was a burning in her, like the ache of a rarely used muscle. Her magic continued to flicker across his skin. With the obvious wounds fixed, it began to delve, seeking out deeper hurts. A tendril of light uncurled and touched his mind. Upon contact she was blinded by a flash, her eyes no longer seeing what was in front of her. Pictures and sounds jumbled in her mind's eye causing her to gasp out in shock. She quickly pulled her hands away and fainted.

Bog caught her as she toppled backwards, unsure of what just occurred. Worried, he summoned his minions. He ordered them to fetch his mother and meet him in the room they set up for Marianne. He gathered her gently into his arms and flew quickly, carrying her up to her bed.

Laying her down on the soft coverlet he examined her. She was still breathing, and her heartbeat felt strong. Her eyes moved rapidly under closed lids, but she did not seem in pain. He traced a clawed finger along the side of her face then stepped back and crouched down, watching her intently while waiting for Griselda.

She came huffing up the stairs as quickly as she could, carrying a handled container, with Stuff and Thang following close behind. She set the wooden container on the bed beside the prone fairy and unlatched it. Stuff and Thang peered over the other side of the bed, concerned. She pulled out a small vial of liquid and set it aside. Leaning in close to Marianne, she examined her and once satisfied, grunted and said, "She's asleep."

Bog stood, gestured sharply towards Marianne and said impatiently, "Well? _Wake her up_!"

"Relax your thorax, I'm working on it!" she snapped back.

She picked up the vial of clear liquid, uncapped it and said, "Prop her up a bit. I don't want this spilling." 

Bog gently slid his large hand behind the sleeping fairy and tilted her up so his mother could hold the strange smelling vial of liquid under her nose. As the vapors were inhaled, Marianne gasped and her eyes flew open. Griselda withdrew quickly, lest the vial be knocked from her hand and wasted. She quickly capped it and returned it to her case.

Marianne looked about wildly. Bog helped her sit up and asked, "What happened?"

She turned and focused on him, calming down. She crinkled her nose, the smell from the vial still lingered. "I'm honestly not sure. I felt the magic probing and then, all my senses were assaulted. I could see things, hear things, taste and smell things that weren't there. It was all a big jumble and I was so tired already." She shook her head and pursed her lips. "I just don't know."

He smiled at her then, revealing a row of sharp, jagged teeth, which when taken alone could be terrifying, but for his eyes. His eyes belied his fierce countenance. "Well, you seem ok and that's good," he said awkwardly. Then he stood and posed regally, chest thrust proudly forward. "And just look at your handiwork! Such skill I have never seen! I'm nearly brand new." And as if to demonstrate his newfound virility, he leaned forward and flexed his shoulder plates, flicked his wings for a few beats then straightened back up to thump his chest with his fist.

She covered her mouth to suppress her laughter as he held his hand out to her, "Come on, my tough wee thing. Let's go find your journal."

At the sound of that, Marianne was instantly out of bed and with two quick flaps of her wings was waiting by the door, her face lit with excitement. "I wouldn't be able to persuade you to return my dirk now, would I? I mean, if I do hurt you with it, at least now you know I could fix you right back up again." She grinned at him, expectantly.

"I didn't take your weapon because I was afraid you'd hurt _me_ ," he replied, feigning insult and flying over to her. "I took it away so you wouldn't hurt _yourself_!" He held out his arm in order to escort her back to the throne room where both of their weapons were.

She scoffed and took the proffered appendage. As they walked down the hall he said, "I'll return it to you." He paused and grinned lopsidedly. "That way, the next time we run into trouble, maybe you'll be able to help out instead of hiding in a bramble bush."

Griselda thought she heard him get punched.

She turned to look at Stuff and Thang and said, "He deserved that."

They both nodded in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole time I was writing this, Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye was running through my head. I'm so, so sorry.


	6. Into the Forest

With her dirk latched firmly to her belt, and his staff in hand, Marianne and Bog set out to locate her missing belongings. He, in the lead, and she trailing slowly behind him, still fatigued from her earlier exertions.

The forest was much different in the daylight. As they descended into the trees, the bright light of day was muted in shade. Light filtered through the canopy dimly and was absorbed before it could reach the forest floor, but even so, the ambient temperature was comfortable. Birdsong filled the air and the smells, so intoxicating in the dark, were intensified in the warmth of the day. Feeling slightly reinvigorated by this, she flew a bit quicker to catch up to the Forest King.

Marianne, her gaze intent on something below her, almost flew into a spider web. It was enormous, spun meticulously and hung with precision. She was glad the weaver was not present but knew it would not be far. With a tiny shudder she flew under it and caught up to Bog.

As they flew, she noticed areas where the trees thinned a bit, allowing some sunlight to break through the blockade of foliage. In these areas, large ferns dotted the spaces between the trees where the light touched. Many were still in shadow, curled tightly, awaiting the moment the world would spin them into their turn in the sunlight.

Bog flew past one and gently brushed it with his hand. He glanced back with a smile as it unfurled quickly. Intrigued, Marianne flew through the patch, touching as many as she could and watched in wonder and joy as they spread their leafy arms skyward, her delighted laughter mingling with the birdsong.

They passed all manner of creatures, both big and small, that called the forest home. As they got closer to the border of their two lands, Bog slowed and held out his arm in warning, indicating that she stop. He raised his long pointed nose to the air and sniffed tentatively, then his lips curled back in a silent snarl.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"

"My brother. He's been here recently," Bog said, gripping his staff tightly with both hands. They continued their journey cautiously.

Soon things began to look familiar to Marianne and she said, "I've been here before! I think I know where we are!" And she raced ahead in the direction of the tree she was abducted from. Bog swore under his breath and chased after her.

She found the tree and ducked inside the knothole. Bog heard her cry out and with a burst of speed entered the alcove snarling and ready for battle. Startled, Marianne turned to him, clutching her satchel to her chest and exclaimed, "What's the matter with you?!"

"Well, I… uh," he stammered. "I thought you were in trouble."

She stood and smiled. "I'm fine. Better than fine, in fact. My things are still here!" She held them out in front of her gleefully. "See?" Then she slung the satchel over her shoulder and adjusted it. "Besides. I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years." And she patted the dirk at her side for emphasis.

Bog, still wary, replied, "Well, be that as it may, my brother's scent lingers here. It's not safe." His scaled shoulders flared in agitation.

"Of course his scent is here. He was here last night when he tried to capture me," she said.

"It still doesn't feel right." He glowered at her. "It's fresh. His sent is as strong to me now as yours is as you stand there."

"What is it with everyone here smelling me?" she said, irritated, remembering Thang complimenting her odor earlier today. "Do I stink or something?"

He smiled and his wings vibrated gently. "No, not at all. Your smell is not unpleasant. There's just nothing like you in all my realm and my senses are keen." He paused and leveled his gaze at her. "I could find you anywhere."

She blushed and looked away, but his face darkened. "Which means my _brother_ can also locate you."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then started for the exit. "Well, I can't spend my whole time here hiding from your brother. I've only got two nights and one day left to learn as much about your forest as I can before I have to go back across the veil. I should get going."

He blocked her path with his staff. "You can't go back."

"Of course I can go back. The veil won't solidify until the day after tomorrow."

He looked at her sadly and she was struck with realization. "Oh. I get it. You aren't going to _let_ me leave."

She pushed his staff away angrily. "Am I really that much of a threat to you?"

He sighed and shook his head. "You? No. I don't believe you'd harm me intentionally, but once you return with all you've learned, others will come."

"But you don't know that, not for certain." She crossed her arms in front of her.

"I cannot risk it, not with my kingdom divided. And, not while my brother plots against me." He thumped his staff angrily on the ground. "Even if every new visitor from across the veil was of good intent, they would not be safe. Not from my brother, and possibly, not from themselves. Many are unable to control the new powers that flood them when they arrive. Encouraging travel between the realms with enticing stories of the dark forest not only endangers my land, but the people of the light fields as well."

He shifted and looked out towards his forest. "No. Better that your people continue to fear this place and think of it as a land of no return."

She made a sound of disgust but his points were valid. They stood in contemplative silence for a few moments before Marianne asked, "Do your people have libraries? Do you record your history as my people do?"

"In a way," he replied. "We don't have much in the way of written histories as we've never had a need. Everything we hold dear is stored in the mushrooms."

"But how…"

He continued, "Anything whispered to or witnessed by a mushroom will be retained by them for eternity, and their network is vast. If you have a question, you just need to ask."

Marianne's eyes lit up with understanding and she exclaimed, "I _knew_ there was something funny about them! Oh, this is _wonderful_!" She sat quickly and pulled her field journal from her satchel, flipped to the page she created about the mushrooms and wrote this new information down.

She glanced up at him to ask him a question but his expression was odd. He was looking at her with a softness she did not expect. As their eyes met, the visage of the King returned and she thought perhaps she only imagined it.

"But, mushrooms don't live forever… do they? Aren't you afraid of losing it all?" she asked.

"They do not live forever, and many are eaten, but the visible fruiting bodies you interact with are not where the information is stored. They're just a way to access it. The knowledge is stored in the mycelium which branches out underground and blankets the whole of the forest. Unless the entire forest is razed and the earth salted, our history is safe," he explained.

"Maybe they can tell us why my people gain impossible magic when we come over here. If we know how it's happening, maybe we can stop it and if we can stop it, that would solve both problems. But we don't have much time." Satisfied, she turned back to her journal and finished her entry. She replaced the book in her satchel and stood up.

Bog stepped over to the entrance and said, "We should go to a more protected place, closer to my castle."

His wings blurred to life and he flew out of the tree to wait for her. A few seconds later, Marianne heard him shout. She dropped her satchel, drew her dirk from its scabbard and rushed to see what was wrong.

Bog was nowhere to be seen but she heard a commotion on the ground. When she looked down she saw him trapped in a spider-silk net and surrounded by many small goblins. He was struggling fiercely. With a piercing cry she dove out of the tree to help him get free when Geks rose up in front of her, blocking her path.

She had never seen him fully before. The last time they met, it was dark and he had snatched her from behind. But now, face to face she could see the resemblance to his brother. While both having a similar build, Geks was armored in shiny black beetle-like scales, which shimmered in the sunlight. Beautiful and distracting. The scales of his shoulders tapered to fine points, sharp and dangerous. He was still wounded from last night, and a wounded beast can sometimes be the most dangerous.

He held a large black spear, tipped in sharpened metal. From what she could see, it looked like iron. Her eyes widened, understanding the implications of getting nicked with such a weapon. Iron was very poisonous to the fae.

He saw her notice and grinned maliciously. "Well, my dear. We meet again."

"Let Bog go!" she shouted angrily, and lunged at him with her weapon. He deflected it with a flick of his spear and angled to get behind her. She repositioned and blocked his next attack.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, "but I need you and you will come with me. Either willingly…" and he deflected another blow, "or unwillingly."

Bog could hear the fight above and he struggled against his captors to get free. He couldn't swing his staff but even tangled as he was in the sticky netting, he managed to claw a few of his brother's minions that got too close, sending them squealing into the underbrush.

Marianne and Geks circled and lunged, with neither getting the upper hand. She was tiring fast, having not fully rested after using her magic earlier. She folded her wings and dove for Bog. She thought if she could cut him free, the two of them together could...

Her thought was interrupted when a minion leapt on her back from a nearby tree, pinning her wings down. Her weapon fell from her hand as they tumbled from the sky and fell hard to the ground. The wind was knocked from her and as she struggled to throw the clawing minion from her back, Geks landed in front of her, laughing.

Her hands shot out and she grabbed him around his ankles in an attempt to knock him to the ground. She was surprised when red light burst from her where she held him and flickered over her skin like fire. It traveled up his legs to the knees, opening old scars and exacerbating new wounds with a fierce burning. He screamed in pain and tried to back away but she held on tightly, her dark thoughts perverting her healing power. He finally kicked free of her and snatched her from the ground, her magic dissipating like smoke in the wind.

Exhausted she hung limply like a rag doll in his grasp and he flew off with her, calling his minions to follow.

As she was carried away, yet again, she could hear Bog scream her name in the distance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers, am I right? ;)
> 
> Me: "Don't hate me!"
> 
> Stuff: "Too late."


	7. Recaptured!

Geks flew quickly to his lair, which appeared to be an old repurposed animal burrow that ran deep into the ground. He dove into the dark earthen maw and navigated the twisting tunnels with the ease of familiarity. Glow worms rested along the walls at various intervals, some wandering a bit, causing the light to shift unevenly. Marianne tried to remember every twist and turn, but was eventually overwhelmed and now hopelessly lost in the deep, dark caverns.

The air became dank the further down they traveled and bioluminescent fungi sprouted along the cave walls. Eventually they arrived in a large room that was carved most meticulously from deeply buried stone shot with veins of quartz. Barred cells were hollowed from the walls and it was surprisingly very quiet. Not a lot of guests at Casa de Geks apparently, she thought grimly.

He landed in front of a cell with bars made of something rigid and thorny and unlocked the door by touching the vine knots in various places until they shuddered, detangled themselves and withdrew. He shoved her roughly inside and followed behind. There was a soft blue glow coming from some sort of bubble attached to a gnarled branch that was propped up against the back wall. A small bench protruded from the wall. He pointed to it and said, "Sit."

She sat on the bench warily as he went over to the weird looking branch-thing and picked it up. He carried it carefully over to where she sat and thrust it close to her. Now that she was so near it, she realized that the bubble was actually an orb of finely spun insect silk lashed like a cocoon to the branch. Inside, a tiny creature flit about in distress. She was very petite, and emitted a strange blue light that caused her entire spherical prison to light up. While her upper body was female, her lower half ended in a strange legless-ness that moved with graceful fluidity. She seemed to defy gravity, as if the very air were made of liquid and she was just swimming through it. Her hair floated gently upwards, moderately contained within a tall delicate crown, and undulated with her slightest movements.

The strange blue creature limply raised her hand in a melancholy greeting. "Hi, my name is Sugarplum, but you can call me Plum." She curled up in a little ball and covered her head. "And I'm really, really sorry."

Marianne tilted her head to get a better look. "I'm Marianne. And what do you have to be sorry for? It's not like you took me against my will and…"

"Enough talking! Put your hand inside. _Now_ ," barked Geks and he thrust the orb closer to Marianne.

Marianne's eyes narrowed as she looked up at Geks and said, "No."

Geks dipped the spear he held in his other hand towards her, the iron point mere inches away from her cheek. "I suggest you do. Placing your hand in the cage will only cause you momentary fatigue while this," and he bobbed the spear tip a little closer, "will cause agonizing and lingering pain. The choice is yours."

Her shoulders drooped with resignation and a little defeated sigh escaped her lips. She slowly pressed her fingertips against the glowing orb and they slid inside smoothly. As her hand passed through the barrier and became visible inside the orb, it appeared shrunken. Yelping in shock she pulled her hand back quickly and looked at it to make sure the effect wasn't permanent. Geks exhaled impatiently and glared at her. She glared right back and popped her hand back inside the orb, this time with more force.

Plum uncurled slowly and drifted over to the proffered hand, taking it in her own. Humming softly her glow intensified. She turned Marianne's hand palm-upwards and pinched at something invisible in the center. Pulling gently, Plum extracted a long golden filament from Marianne that coiled up at the bottom of the orb. As she pulled, Marianne felt like she was being drained. Her head swam and dizzily, she started to sway in her seat. She nearly toppled over but managed to stay upright by force of will. Just when she felt that she had nothing left to give, Geks pulled the orb away causing Marianne's hand to withdraw.

He set his spear against the wall, then put his own hand into the tiny prison. Plum handed him the end of the magically extracted filament so he could pull it free. Once he had drawn it all out, he propped the branch against the wall and wound the golden cord gently around his fingers until it was gathered up, neat and tidy.

Marianne glanced sidelong at the spear, desperately wanting to lunge for it while he was preoccupied with his prize, but she felt leaden and sluggish. She knew her attempt would end in a clumsy fumble and she'd most likely be punished for trying. A tear slid down her cheek and she closed her eyes. She heard him grab his spear again then felt him grip her upper arm and lift her to her feet.

She opened her eyes and slurred, "Wher'we goin'?"

"To your new home," he said, and then unlatched the cell next to Plum's and tossed her inside.

She stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. Her wings fluttered to try and break her fall, but they just flopped tiredly against her back. The small jolt of adrenaline she got from the sensation of falling woke her up a bit. She turned to him and cried, "Why are you doing this?"

"It's no concern of yours," he replied tersely and he walked out of her view. She heard the sound of a wooden cabinet being opened along the back wall.

Marianne flexed her body and crawled over to the large glowing mushroom in her cell that would serve as a bed. "It sure feels like it's my concern. I mean, I'm definitely concerned. Ouch," she winced as she tried to find a comfortable way to lie down. She finally found a good position and tiredly said, "Well, since I'm not going anywhere, why don't you tell me anyway."

She heard him shut the cabinet doors with force and the thrum of his wings beating as he flew back to her cell door. She tilted her head to look at him and waited. Finally he said, "I have been fighting with my brother for centuries for my turn on the throne, and soon, I shall have it."

Marianne replied, "I'm not sure how you do things on your side of the veil, but over where I live, the line of succession is clear and birth order dictates who the rightful king should be. It seems to me, if you are Bog's _younger_ brother, the birthright to the throne is his until his death or abdication."

She saw him bristle at that. "But for a small twist of fate, _I_ would have been born first. It is a _stupid_ rule," he growled.

"They why not just kill your brother and be done with it. You had ample opportunity to do so but you just waylaid him in order to come after _me_. You don't make any sense at all," Marianne snapped.

He deflated a bit and said, "It would break my mother's heart." His eyes looked faraway and he was quiet for just a moment. Then he took a deep breath and said, "So, since I can't kill him, and he would never willingly abdicate that only leaves me one option." He stood up straight. "I have to put him someplace safe — someplace that he cannot escape, nor be rescued from."

Then he looked pointedly at Marianne and said, "But that someplace isn't ready yet."

And with that he flew away back into the maze of underground tunnels he calls home.


	8. The Sugarplum Fairy

Marianne woke groggily to someone singing. She propped herself up on the mushroom and called out, "Hello?"

The singing stopped and Plum replied, "I'm sorry! Did I wake you? It just gets so lonely and I've been locked away for _so long_. I have to sing or I'll go crazy."

Marianne sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "No, I understand." Then fear sized her heart and she asked, "How long was I asleep?"

"For quite a while unfortunately," Plum said, sadly. "Extractions really pack a punch and I could sense you were already pretty drained when I got to you."

"Yes, what was that all about?" Marianne stretched her wings and flapped them, feeling stronger.

"I drained your powers, but only temporarily. It's like plucking a sprig from a plant. It grows back with time and rest, and you've had both, so Geks will be back soon to do it again," said Plum.

Marianne concentrated and the gentle golden healing glow sprang to her hands. Relieved, she let the magic fade and pressed Plum for more. "But what is he doing with it? Eating it or something?"

Plum laughed, "Oh no, he's using every scrap of magic he can get his hands on to build a cage for his brother."

Marianne shivered and thought of Bog. She hoped he was ok and managed to get out of that netting. She was sure he was ok. He's been fighting with his brother forever, this couldn't be the one that did him in. Still concerned about how much time she had left on this side of the veil she asked, "How long was I asleep, exactly?" She noticed a small plate of food on the floor of her cell near the bars. She slid off the mushroom and fetched it. Famished, she ate without tasting.

"Well, let's see. You showed up around midday yesterday. The moon rose and traveled most of the way across the sky and it'll soon be moondown. The sun will rise not too long from now. You slept part of a day and most of the night," Plum reported.

Marianne initially blanched at the news, but then she became skeptical. "There are no windows. How can you be so sure if you can't see the sky?"

She heard Plum sigh. "My dear. I am a pureblood Fae, and come from the place where magic is born. I am as old as the beginning and my home lies beyond the wellspring. I can sense the turning of the earth and the movement of the stars, even locked within this horrid prison deep underground."

"I've heard about your kind but only at bedtime in stories told to children," said Marianne, intrigued.

Plum's laughter echoed off the empty chamber walls. "Surprise!" she exclaimed blithely, with an undertone of bitterness.

The sat in silence for a moment and then Plum asked, "Would you like to hear a story?"

Marianne finished the last few bites of her first plate of prison food and replied, "Sure."

Plum gleefully said, "Once upon a time..."

"Seriously?" Marianne said in disbelief.

"Shut up. It's my story," snapped Plum.

"Sorry, please continue!" Marianne put the empty plate back on the floor where she found it.

Plum composed herself and began again. "Once upon a time, this world was full of magic. The immortal and the mortal lived side by side for eons until jealousy sprang up among mortal kind. They coveted our mastery over the powerful magicks that flowed through the earth. Wars were fought over the secret, but it was all for nothing, because there was no secret. You were either born with the ability to control it or you weren't. This did not satisfy the mortals so they continued to fight, insisting there was some method to gain the ability. As a result, sadly the Fae decided to withdraw from the mortal realm, away from life and growth and seasons and beauty and change, back through the wellsprings to permanently seal them all." Plum paused dramatically. "All except for one."

"What are the wellsprings?" Marianne interrupted to ask.

"They are portals between dimensions. Imagine there are two worlds, side by side, nearly overlapping. The mortal word and the world of fairy. At certain points all around the globe, openings occur where both worlds are connected and passage between the realms is possible. When all the wellsprings are open, magic floods from the realm of Fae to the realm of mortals and allows us to exist over here. Close the wellsprings with us trapped on the wrong side and we'll wither and die." Plum shuddered.

"Anyhow, my people left one portal open, just a crack. They protected it with many spells to misdirect and obscure. The few creatures of Fae that wanted to stay behind had to make their home near the wellspring, but a strange thing happened. Since the magic was only trickling out of this small opening, the Fae on this side of the portal began to change over time. They became long-lived, but mortal. They _aged_. They reproduced. And slowly, they forgot their heritage." Plum clapped her hands together in excitement. "And this is where I come in!"

Plum cleared her throat and continued. "One day an extremely _naughty_ Fae disobeyed her elders and wiggled through the crack to explore the mortal realm." She paused to whisper, " _That was me!_ "

Marianne giggled.

Plum continued, "She did not know it, but she was discovered by a distant relation in the mortal realm. He watched her every day to learn her patterns and managed to locate the wellspring. He asked the mushrooms many questions about it and learned much. Unable to approach it directly, as it can only be seen from the corner of the eye, he worked at trying to get close to it. He managed to circumnavigate the protective spells eventually and was able to dip a ream of glowworm silk into the portal between worlds. This infused it with powerful magic. From this, he spun a cage in order to trap the disobedient fairy and make her do his bidding."

"So Geks hunted you down and captured you with the knowledge he gained from the mushrooms. What did he make you do?" Marianne inquired.

"He made me cast the Veil over the dark forest, separating it from the light fields, with the unintended consequence of trapping most of the wellsprings magic in the forest. Obviously it didn't stop the flow completely, or you wouldn't be here," said Plum cheerily.

"But why did he do it? To what end?" asked Marianne.

"It was a grand gesture for the creatures of the forest.  He wanted to show that he was more powerful than his brother. That he could protect the realm better. With me as his secret weapon, he figured he could make the people love him over his brother and force an abdication so he could rule. The only problem is, he shot the golden goose."

"I don't understand," said Marianne.

"Well, it took nearly everything I had to create the veil. I was drained and he asked so much of me. When his display of power failed to make the people love him and instead made them fear and exile him, he came to me and asked me to create a special prison to hold his brother. He had already tried and failed. The wellspring dipped silk would not hold anything mortal. Bog could pass in and out of it at will since he's not fully Fae. With that attempt thwarted, Geks was extremely angry when he came to me and demanded I magick him up something to preserve his brother in stasis. When I could not, he threatened me with iron. When I still could not, he mixed some iron shavings with water and sprayed me with it to watch me burn."

"That's horrible!" cried Marianne.

"If he had just given me time! I could have done as he asked! But now," she sighed, "now I'm not as I once was. The iron is in me and I can't regenerate well. And I will never be as powerful as I once was. I can only do little things with magic now. Like extractions and love potions."

"Is there anything that can be done? I mean a cure of some kind?" asked Marianne.

"There is a way, but I'd need to get back through the wellspring to the elders, and Geks won't risk losing me, even as disabled as I am now," said Plum, her voice echoing sadly in the dungeon.

"Then there is a way! As long as there's a way, there's hope!" Marianne ran over to the bars and examined the magical vine lock. "Are these locks your handiwork?"

"Of course. That fool, Geks, can only steal and manipulate magic that was created by someone else," replied Plum.

"Yea, speaking of that. Why can't the forest creatures cast magic? Why does the wellspring only affect the fairies from the light fields?" inquired Marianne.

"It's because the creatures of the forest are Goblins. They were created by magic, created by the Fae, to serve. The fairies from the light fields are descended from the Fae proper, and Goblins are descended from their creations. But that's another story for another time, and speaking of time, we're running out. Geks will be back soon."

Marianne turned back to the vine lock trying to push it and tickle it into releasing its grip, but it just gripped tighter. "I'm not sure how to open this. Everything I do just seems to tick it off."

Plum said, "Quit trying to use it like a goblin. The vine is a living thing. It's been enchanted with magic, which is like a sickness come over it. Use your magic to find the wrongness inside it and make it right."

Marianne put her hands on the vines, closed her eyes and tried to relax. She felt the magic come to her quickly this time and she let it extend from her and seek out the hurt. She felt the vines shudder under her fingers as she untangled the enchantment from around its living center. The vines relaxed and untangled, then hung limp.

Elated, she pushed open the cell door carefully and ran over to the cell Plum was in. "A cell within a cell. It's cellception. He _really_ didn't want you to get out," Marianne said with a little laugh as she manipulated the vine lock. "Or perhaps he just didn't want anyone else to get in. That seems more plausible." Soon it was released from its enchantment as well. She ran inside and snatched the branch holding the trapped Fae.

"Is there any way to get you out of there?" asked Marianne.

"Not quietly, and not here. The best way would be to toss the entire branch into the wellspring. The cage can't hold me on the other side. Let's leave this place! Quickly!" Plum hissed.

"But I don't know the way out! It's all twisty out there," said Marianne.

"I can help with that. Just hold me in front of you and follow the blue light. I'll mark it on the floor as best I can in the direction you need to go, but hurry. I won't be able to do it for long," said Plum.

Marianne held Plum in front of her and a pale blue beam of light emanated from the prison to point the way. With her heart beating furiously, Marianne flew quickly through the tunnels, twisting this way and that. She flew over some minions and they sounded the alarm. She knew Geks could out-fly her so she pushed harder, terrified of recapture, flying as fast as she's ever flown before.

She burst out of the entrance into the cool dewy morning like a seed from a geranium pod. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon and she tried to gain elevation. Higher and higher, she aimed to get above the treetops. She glanced behind her to see the goblins milling about, trying to wake their dragonfly mounts and get airborne.

And then she heard the noise. The recognizable thrum of goblin wings. Fear lanced through her heart for a split second before she realized the sound did not come from behind her, but from up ahead!

It was Bog! He was flying towards her at breakneck speed with a small army behind him. He cried her name and she flew right into his arms with such force she almost dropped Plum. She hugged him tightly, and he squeezed her back, but when she tried to pull away she found herself stuck to him.

"What the...? Well. This is awkward," she laughed nervously. "I can't seem to let you go."

His deep laugh resonated through her and he said, "That's perfectly fine with me."

"No, but really, what's going on?" she said as she tried to detach herself from the Forest King.

Grinning, he replied, "Spider adhesive is _very_ difficult to remove completely. Apparently I missed a spot."

With his staff in hand and Marianne stuck firmly to him, he sped back to his castle, shouting orders to his minions as he passed to act as a diversion and keep his brother busy long enough to put some distance between them.

Happily, Marianne looked up at him and exclaimed, "You brought an army for me!"

He placed his hand tenderly on her back and said, "And you didn't even need it." Then, he lowered his head and whispered, "My tough girl."


	9. A Sticky Situation

Bog alit gently on the ground in front of the castle entrance with his arm around Marianne who was still stuck firmly to him due to her momentary, reckless embrace. He was so tall, her feet dangled above the ground when he stood. He strode into the throne room and they were greeted by two extremely excited minions. Stuff and Thang rushed up to express their relief at their master's safe return. Thang made sure Marianne felt appropriately welcomed as well. (Sniffing may have been involved.) Bog commanded them to fetch his mother as he made his way over to his throne. He sat gingerly on the edge of it so Marianne could put her feet on the ground and he could rest his arm. For a few moments they just existed in each other's space with their own thoughts, and it was good.

Unable to speak during the flight due to the wind loudly rushing past their ears, Marianne took this moment to inform Bog about what transpired deep in his brother's lair — delicately leaving out that goblins were a creation of the Fae as she didn't want to deal with that conversation right then. She was not able to look at him directly because of their sticky predicament, which may have been a good thing, for as she spoke of her experiences his face contorted from happy relief to something altogether unpleasant.

His hand curled into a fist and he brought it down hard on the arm of his throne. "I will _end_ him," Bog said quietly, his voice dripping with malice.

Marianne jumped a little at his anger and then gave him a little squeeze of reassurance. He found it oddly comforting and relaxed.

Plum, who up until now had remained quiet, her prison clutched in Marianne's hand — which was still stuck to Bog's back in what was quickly becoming the world's longest hug — said, "I can help with that, but I'll need your help first."

Bog set his staff aside, and reached over his shoulder in order to grasp a branch of the magical prison and pull it in front of him for closer inspection. Plum greeted him warmly. He lowered his eyes and bowed his head in return, a kingly gesture of high esteem. After being properly introduced, Bog began to examine her prison with frank curiosity. While holding the branch in one hand, he ran his other over the delicately permeable webbing, letting his fingers slide in and out as they passed across the surface.

"I remember this," he said, lost in thought. "Many hundreds of years ago my brother tried to contain me in something similar. Soon after, he started collecting fairies." He looked at Plum directly and asked, "What happened to the last one? The fire-starter. The last I saw of him was 300 years ago when my brother spirited him down into his tunnels and I never saw the poor creature again. I tried to rescue him but I couldn't make it past his defenses." He glanced at Marianne. "He didn't have this ones ingenuity. There were many casualties and my brother threatened to burn my castle to the ground."

Plum lowered her eyes and her shoulders slumped. "He lived as long as he was able, but your brother used him up. They all end up like that. Geks drains them a little bit every day for years and years, collecting as much magic as he can, until one day… they have nothing left to give." She curled up a little, giving herself a hug. "I remember them all, though. Every one."  Then she perked up and turned to Marianne, "But I am _so_ happy you got free. You're the first one to ever escape!" Then she brought her hands up to her mouth and exclaimed, "Oh, but he's going to be so mad!"

Their conversation was interrupted when Griselda came into the room with Stuff and Thang trailing behind her. Bog put his arm around Marianne and stood up, gently setting Plums branch on his throne. Griselda took one look at Marianne and Bog, locked in their embrace and grinned. "So what seems to be the trouble, dears," she said, steepling her fingers gleefully.

Bog sighed and let go of Marianne. She sagged a little, dangling against him. Her bare arms stuck to his sides and around his back, and the front of her borrowed leaf tunic adhered to his chest.

Griselda clucked her tongue and said, "I'm not even gonna ask."

Marianne buried her face in his chest in embarrassment, then pulled back sharply afraid of what she might have just done. Luckily, the spot near her face was free from the sticky spider glue so she dropped her head again, resting her cheek against him, sighing heavily. Her breath traveled over him like a whisper and sent a tingle up his spine.

Her arms were starting to get sore as she hung from him. Feeling her shift against him, he sensed her discomfort and gently wrapped his arm around her again, easing her burden while pressing her to him. His mother came over to examine the situation.

"It seems we didn't get all that spider glop cleaned up before you rushed off to gather your forces and head into battle," said Griselda, with a knowing smile. "Unfortunately, I used up the rest of my goo remover during the first go-round. I'll need you to collect some soaproot for me. There's a large patch of it growing near the creek that runs just north of the castle. Don't just pick the leaves though, I need the bulbs."

Bog turned back to Plum and picked up her prison. Leveling his gaze to her he said, "When we return and have this situation resolved, we will take you to the wellspring and try and fix the mess my brother made." She spun in place, releasing tiny magical fireworks reflecting her joy.

He turned to his minions and handed the branch to Stuff. "Take her and keep her safe in my chambers."

Stuff turned to Thang, handed him the branch roughly and said, "Follow me!"

Thang held the magical prison as far away from his body as he could and ran quickly after Stuff. "I don't want to be carrying this!" he said, while turning his head away from the orb in fear.

……

Bog's wings blurred to life and he carried Marianne quickly out of the castle heading in a northerly direction to the creek that ran through his kingdom. Landing by the edge of the water he looked around for the plant his mother needed and it wasn't long before he spied a patch of them. He knelt down, still cradling Marianne with one arm, and used the long, clawed fingers of his other to dig up the elongated fibrous white bulbs of the six-petaled flowering plant.

He gathered up his lumpy bouquet and was about to fly back when Marianne said, "Wait!"

He stopped and asked, "What is it?"

She looked over towards the stream and said, "I haven't had a drink since the first day I got here when your mother brought me breakfast. Your brother fed me a plate of questionable food, but I wasn't offered anything to drink."

Bog bristled at the mention of his brother's ill treatment of her then dropped the soaproot plants onto the ground. He flew quickly over to the edge of the languid water and knelt down. He was a bit unsure about how to offer her the liquid when she said, "Do you think you could hover close over the water?"

"I can try," he replied with understanding.

He flew up a bit and positioned them over the creek, then angled his wings to tilt them both so their heads were just inches away from the surface. Flying in place came easy to him, but even so, he could not maintain his hover for too long. He made minute adjustments as the winds shifted in order to lower them further, and he inadvertently dunked her shoulder. He apologized but she just laughed, tilted her head towards the water and kissed it. He could see her throat move with each deep swallow. His eyes traced the line of her jaw in her reflection on the water as she blissfully slaked her thirst. His mouth, suddenly dry, caused him to crave a drink as well. He turned his face to the glassy surface and took his fill. When they were both sated, he flew back and landed near the discarded roots.

He picked up the plants and she sighed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, not really. I was just thinking that tomorrow morning's sunrise will solidify the veil again for another hundred years," she replied, resting her head on his chest.

His heart gave a little lurch and he recalled telling her that she couldn't ever go back home. "Do you still want to go back?" he asked, nervously.

"I don't know," she said, quietly.

"I know I said you couldn't ever leave, but with everything that's happened, you may be safer if you didn't stay," he said.

"But what about the risk to your kingdom? Aren't you still worried that fairy hordes will spill through the veil in one hundred years to usurp your throne?" she asked, sardonically.

He bristled. "Of _course_ that's still a concern."

She understood what was left unsaid. She felt it in her heart. He was still very much worried about his kingdom being invaded, but he was willing to risk it — for her. They stood in silent contemplation for a moment, listening to the sounds of the forest and the creek gently lapping at the shore.

He looked at the bundle of soaproot in his hand, loaded with multiple white and purple long-petaled flowers sprouting from the central stems. He plucked a particularly pretty one and placed it gently behind her ear. With that silent gesture lingering between them, he put his arm around her and flew back to the castle.

……

He dumped the load of plants on the floor in front of Griselda in the dining hall and she clapped her hands appreciatively. She picked out a few choice specimens and put them into a bowl of water on the long table to clean the dirt off. Once clean, she placed them on a slab of wood and bashed them with a rock to release the saponins stored deep inside. Then she dropped them into another bowl with fresh water and agitated the mixture to produce a substantial lather. After adding a few other choice ingredients and continuing to mix them vigorously, she finally got the concoction whipped into a frothy paste.

She carried the bowl over to the entangled couple and began scrubbing the soapy mixture onto her son making especially sure to rub it along the edges of contact. After a while Marianne began to feel herself start to break free. She wiggled her arms and Griselda applied more paste where skin met chitin. Soon, her arms pulled away, with long gooey ropes of dissolving glue still connecting her to Bog. As her forced grip on him loosened, she scrabbled to hang on since she was now only connected to Bog by her tunic. If she let it bear the full brunt of her weight, it could tear and she'd fall right out of it! The thought mortified her.

Realizing her predicament, Griselda chuckled and went over to the table. She set down the bowl of soapy froth and picked up a linen blanket woven from flax. She draped the blanket around Marianne and told Bog to close his eyes. Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and listened as his mother pulled the seams from the leaf tunic in order to allow Marian to slip out of it. He felt her pull away from him, leaving the shed cocoon of her clothing behind. He felt suddenly cold as they separated.

"You can open your eyes now," said Griselda.

He did and saw Marianne blushing hotly, wrapped in the delicate off-white blanket that took his mother weeks to weave. He looked down at the ruins of her old tunic still stuck to him and Griselda handed him the bowl of suds, indicating he should scrub with it. When he was through peeling the rest of the tunic from himself Griselda said, "You both need a bath to rinse off all that goop. I'll go heat the water."

And she left them standing there together in awkward silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this chapter under the delirium of fever. 
> 
> Edit: I fixed some things.


	10. The Last Day

Later, after they were rinsed clean of suds and goo, Marianne and Bog began making preparations to leave for the wellspring. Bog had recovered her dirk from the ground where it was dropped during the confrontation with Geks near the border. He handed it to her now, his mouth set in a grim line knowing she'd probably have to use it before the day was out. She latched it to her belt and adjusted her repaired petal tunic, reinforced with thickened forest leaves thanks to Griselda.

She glanced at her satchel which rest on top of the long banquet hall table and was grateful Bog remembered to retrieve it as well. Small unspoken gestures like this, unbidden acts of kindness, endeared him to her in ways she never thought possible. She was having a difficult time thinking about tomorrow.

She took her field journal out and flipped through the pages. She hadn't had any time to add to it since that first night. Having a moment now, she sat down and began to document her experiences, filling the pages with all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the forest as well as everything she learned from Plum. She illustrated her words with little images of creatures, plants and rudimentary maps. She drew Stuff and Thang, their earnest faces upturned, always willing to help. She drew Geks and added many warnings to the margins.

And then she thought of Bog. She turned to a new page and her hand flew across the paper, a smile on her lips. She wrote about his concern for his kingdom and everything he's done to protect it. His fierce determination and overprotectiveness. She noted how lonely he seemed, surrounded by minions and his mother, but little in the way of true companionship. She paused to brush a stray hair from her cheek, leaving a small streak of ink behind and was so engrossed with what she was doing, she didn't notice him as he stepped quietly behind her to watch her work.

She drew him then as she saw him, not as a fearsome lord of the dark forest, but as Bog. King and caretaker. He saw her render him in exquisite detail and did not recognize himself. Through her eyes, he saw himself in a way he never had, and the carefully constructed version of himself he had built up in his head began to blur just a bit. He made a decision then.

Rather than interrupt her, he backed out of the room silently and went to a place in his castle that was cluttered and appeared rarely used. He flew over to a desk and swept his arm across it, scattering things to the floor. Then, he lay his staff down on its surface and pulled a sharp length of obsidian from a drawer below. The blade was shiny and black, and its tang was covered in leather-wrapped bark.  He brought the blade up to his mouth and blew softly over it causing it to glow with a fine silvery-blue sheen.

He chose a spot near the base of his staff and shaved off a fine curl of metal, then fashioned it into a loop with the edges flipped outwards. Taking the knife, he sliced each of the ends in half, forming rudimentary prongs. He worked the metal then, twisting, molding and curling it, until he grunted with satisfaction and set it aside.

Carefully he brought the blade to the closed lotus blossom at the top of his staff, hovering over it, turning the blade this way and that, until he found the right spot. Once found, he gently inserted the tip between two of the petals and parted them. Upon releasing the other side of a single petal, he was able to grasp the tip and pull it down gently to reveal a small hollow space. He curled a clawed finger inside and dug out a wrapped bundle. He sliced the twine away and unwrapped a small amber gem that matched the larger gem lashed near the top of his staff.

He touched the gems to each other and they flashed brilliantly for a moment, then slowly pulsed synchronously, following the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. After a few moments, he pulled the little amber gem away and the pulsing glow dimmed to a slow burn before fading away altogether.

He picked up the small ring he crafted and inserted the amber into the intricately petaled center. Then he used the knife to carefully bend the petals closest to the stone even closer, until they were touching. Passing his breath over the blade once more to reactivate it, he used the tip to trace the edges between the metal and the gem, forcing them to bond.

Satisfied with his work, he lay the enchanted dagger on the desk next to his staff and closed his hand around the ring. Taking a deep breath he wound his way back down to where Marianne still sat, happily writing in her journal.

He stepped into the room and cleared his throat to announce himself. She lingered a moment more on the page she was on, then pulled herself away to face him.

"Are we almost ready to go?" she asked.

"Uh, almost. Just need to take care of a few more things," he replied, nervously. He was fidgety and had his hands behind his back, holding the ring so tight it left imprints on his palm.

She noticed his discomfort and asked, "Are you all right? Is something the matter?"

"Ah, no. No, there's no problem. I just, wanted to give you this." He thrust his hand forward with the ring's loop pinched between thumb and forefinger.

She reached out tentatively and took it from him, tilting it gently into the light, sending beams skittering and dancing about within. She admired its delicate beauty and expert craftsmanship. It felt very warm in her hand. She looked up at him then and asked, "What's this for?"

Bog looked at his feet and said quietly, "Well, it's, uh, for you. I mean I made it. For you."

"Bog, its beautiful!" she exclaimed and slipped it on her finger. It was a little big, but no sooner had she thought it, the ring adjusted and fit her finger snugly. She slipped it off quickly to see if she could, and it came off as if she commanded it to.

"This is amazing! How does it do that?" she asked in wonder, and slipped the ring back on her finger, feeling it hug tight once again.

Delighted by her reaction he relaxed a little and replied, "Magic!"

"Bo-og," she said with mock exasperation, flicking her eyes up from the ring for a moment to look at him and smile.

"No, truly. I crafted it with an enchanted blade gifted to me a long time ago, and it imbues the things created by it with special traits," he explained. "But the gem is magic in its own right."

"You mean it does more?"

"Oh yes," he said. "The gem is for communicating over long distances."

Confused she asked, "How does it work?"

"Well, it's attuned to the stone in my staff," he said, realizing he left it upstairs, "and in order to activate it, you just have to, uh, think of me… and blow on it." He fidgeted a bit.

She looked at him with a gleam in her eye, and without looking away brought the ring close to her lips, blowing gently onto the amber gem. A slivery-blue glow shimmered along the metal of the ring and the gem began to pulse steady and rhythmically with a golden light deep within its core, matching her heartbeat.

"When it's like that," he said pointing at it, "you just speak to it as if you were speaking directly to me. If my staff is close to me, I'll hear you." He exhaled nervously. "And when you are done, just give it a shake and it will revert."

She looked up at him, and her eyes were wide in an effort to keep the tears that had welled up from spilling. She blinked once and they ran down her cheeks.

"I, uh... don't…" Bog stammered, holding his hands up in front of him.

She stood quickly and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight, burying her face in his chest in order to hide her tears.

"Thank you, Bog," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

He put his arms around her and squeezed her back.

She laughed then, and tilted her face up to him. "Didn't we just get out of this position?" she said, and pulled away, taking his hands in hers.

"Indeed," he replied with a quiet chuckle.

"I wish I had something to give you in return, but I — oh!" she exclaimed and rushed to her satchel. After digging around in it for a bit she found what she was looking for. A small sparkling stone she discovered in the light fields as a child and had carried with her for most of her life. She gave it a familiar rub with her thumb before handing it to Bog.

"You don't have to—" he started to say.

Marianne put her fingers to his lips, instantly silencing him. "I know it's not much," she said, lowering her hand slowly. "But I've had it forever, and… and I really want you to have it now. It came from a spot close to my home and as long as I carried it, I dunno." She shrugged a little. "I felt free to wander, as if no matter where I went, I wasn't far from home."

He took the gem from her with care and said, "I'll treasure it always."

She gave her hand a little shake, causing the ring to dim. "Besides", she said, looking at her newly adorned hand warmly. "I don't think I need it anymore."

"Well," he said and cleared his throat. "I should, finish up before we head out." He blushed as the undercurrent of her statement resonated with him.

"Me too," she said and turned back to put the final touches on her last entry.

He left her to go quickly back to his workroom, her gift in his hand. He went to his desk and wrapped the stone gently in the soft coverings the bonding amber had been kept in, then inserted it into the hollow of his staff. Using the enchanted dagger, he sealed it back up and then flew to his chambers to confer with Plum about how to get to the wellspring and what they should expect along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many ways for this to go now. I see multiple different events branching from this point. Maybe I should turn this into a "choose your own adventure" fic and just write them all. Ha!


	11. Decisions

Bog propped his staff in a hollow near the door of his room, flew over to where Plum's delicately spun prison rested, picked it up and brought it to eye level.  Peering inside he said, "We need to talk."

Plum yawned and said, "Lately, talking is what I do best. Tell me what's on your mind." She floated languidly in her sphere, waiting while he collected his thoughts, or his nerve, or both, before speaking.

He swallowed then, his throat bobbing with the effort. "I need to know if the veil will drop once you're returned to the wellspring." Concern etched his features.

She floated closer to him, shook her head and said, "No. Though I created it and let it fall over the dark forest, it is not sustained by me. I couldn't power something that big for long, especially now in my weakened state." She gestured to the ground with both hands. "The veil survives off the magic from the wellspring; drawing energy that's seeped deep into the earth itself."

His face fell and he sat roughly on the edge of his bed. "Then there is no hope."

"There's always hope!" Plum said, comfortingly. "But what hope, specifically, are we talking about?"

He looked at her with tired eyes. "I'm assuming the only way to drop the veil would be to close the wellspring, which would result in the death of us all, negating that as an actual option," he said forlornly. "Which means tomorrow at moondown, just before the new dawn touches the veil, Marianne will have to make a decision."

He gripped his staff tightly, knuckles turning white, and whispered, "I won't selfishly force her to stay, and if she chooses to leave, there will be no hope that I would ever see her again." His shoulders slumped and he stared at the ground as if the answer could be found there in the dirt.

"Well, you know what they say about assuming, don't you?" Plum quipped.

He looked up at her quizzically. "What?"

She shook her head and flapped her hands impatiently, "Never mind. You know, there's always another way. Once I'm returned to my home, and I've had time to discuss things with the elders, and as long as I'm not locked away for my transgressions, I could come back and drop the veil! Once I've recuperated from my injuries, that is."

Hope fluttered in his breast like a small bird.

"But, there is one small issue," she continued. "On the other side of the wellspring, time isn't constant. It's hard to explain, but it doesn't quite move the way it does over here." She shrugged. "It does what it wants. I could go over there and hurry as fast as I could, but when I came back to reverse the magic I was forced to cast, many years may have passed for you."

They sat in silence for a moment before she said cheerily, "Or I could pop right back out having spent months regenerating and it could have only been the blink of an eye over here! So you see? There's a chance it may not be all that bad."

"Faint hope is still better than no hope at all," he said, grudgingly. "Now the only task left is to actually get you into the portal."

Twirling gleefully she said, "Oh that shouldn't be any trouble at all! I can lead you right to it. You'll know you're getting close to it when you start to feel uneasy, just ignore that and keep moving forward. When you're right near it, you'll probably feel a bit nauseated. That's normal — the warding spells do that. And just when you feel like you're going to vomit, turn your head to the side and you'll glimpse it from your peripheral vision. It will look like a slice of white light hovering in the air. Just toss me in, branch and all! Should be easy!"

His face darkened. "Should be. But you're forgetting about my brother. He won't let you go that easily. He hasn't attacked me outright, but I wouldn't put it past him to have sentry near the wellspring. He knows I've only got two moves. Keep you for myself, or return you to your home. He may assume I would keep you for myself to have you aid me against him, as that is something he would do. If that's the case, most of his forces will be massed close to the castle. I'll need to send scouts to get word from the mushrooms about his movements."

Just then the amber gem in his staff began to pulse with a soft glow.

"Bog?" Marianne's hesitant voice quietly emanated from the direction of the stone. "Bog? Are you there?"

Alarmed, he flew over to his staff, picked it up in his free hand and replied, "I'm here — is anything the matter?" His muscles tensed in anticipation.

"Oh… uh. No. I… I was just seeing if it worked. I didn't mean to bother you!" Marianne said, startled at the magic she invoked. "Erm… byeeee!"

Bog landed heavily and stood staring at the fading amber, slightly bewildered. Then a small smile played at his lips. With his staff in one hand and Plum in the other, his wings blurred back to life and he flew to the throne room. As he passed Stuff and Thang, he ordered them to quickly find out what the mushrooms knew about his brother's movements so he could plan accordingly.

Stuff immediately delegated the task to Thang, and Thang, starting to become savvy to Stuff's methods, re-delegated the task to another.

……

Bog propped the branch next to his throne, then sat and waited with his mother for his minions to return with any information. 

A short while later, a round, toad-like goblin returned with news. A large army of his brother's minions were massing in the forest not far from the castle. Bog gripped the arm of his throne, his claws digging in and leaving marks, his fangs clenched in rage.

He turned to his mother and said, "Why couldn't I have been an _only_ child. You just _had_ to have another, didn't you?"

Griselda crossed her arms in front of herself. "I didn't want you to be lonely," she said, defensively. "Everyone kept asking when I was going to have another and it felt like the right thing to do."

"Well it's working out great now, _isn't it_?" He snapped. "He definitely won't leave me alone. We're just spending _oodles_ of time together." He exhaled sharply through his nose, his brow furrowed in anger.

"I did the best that I could!" she retorted. "I really thought you two would be friends and look out for each other." Her lip quivered and she hung her head sadly, brushing a tear from her cheek.

He noticed and all the fight went out of him. He sighed and said, "I'm sorry, mother. I didn't mean it. I'm just so tired. I'm tired of always being on the defensive, always waiting for the next confrontation and I'm upset that he won't listen to reason. He won't listen _either_ of us. It's not my fault I was born first but still, he holds it against me." He scrubbed his large hand down his face in frustration. "I'm almost tempted to abdicate just to put an end to all of this. I could do it — I could leave tonight with Marianne and cross the veil."

Griselda looked up in shock and gripped his arm with both her hands. "But you can't! You _know_ your brother. He's got a mean streak in him as wide as a river and he's so very selfish… but I love him. He's my son and so help me, I love him — but regardless, I don't want him on your father's throne. On _your_ throne." She patted his arm gently. "And you, despite all your gruffness and rough exterior, you have a kind heart. You care about this kingdom and put it before your own needs."

Bog placed his hand over one of hers and looked in her eyes. "But what if giving him the responsibility of running the kingdom changes him for the better? What if it's just the thing he finally needs to settle into himself properly? Maybe, without me in the way, he'll be the king he thinks he should be? The kind of king he could be, without his constant need to surpass me."

She shook her head and pulled away from him. "No. You can't take that risk. He's a bully. He was then and still is. He hasn't made a single good decision in his life and every time he was caught and punished, the lessons were lost on him. He'd sulk and blame all his mistakes on others, never taking any responsibility for his actions. It was always someone else's fault. Everything he does is to selfishly further his own agenda, and any single one of these traits would make a bad king, but put them all together and there's just no question. He should never ascend to the throne."

"So is this to be my life then? In a constant loop of conflict with him? Am I to never have peace?" he asked, his eyes pleading.

Griselda patted him reassuringly and said, "I am confident you'll think of something. You always do!"

He huffed in annoyance and stood. "I'm beginning to run out of patience with him, mother. I think my next solution may be something we both regret."

Bog flew out of the room to rally his army, yet again, for another confrontation with his brother while his mother stood by the empty throne and wrung her hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much angst...


	12. Battle Cry

He stood outside his castle listening to the throng of goblins down below massing and preparing for battle. They were nervous but in high spirits since clashes with Geks' army always went in their favor. That's not to say they didn't suffer casualties, because they did. Which is why they didn't take any confrontation with him lightly. They knew that even though they were positive that Geks and his rabble of minions wouldn't break their lines and overrun the castle gate, not all of them would live to toast their victory when it was over.

Marianne landed gently next to Bog, folding her wings neatly behind her. She stood beside him silently, surveying the preparations then put her hand on his arm in gentle reassurance. The amber stone in her ring caught the fading light and glimmered.

He looked down at her and smiled briefly before returning his gaze to his legion of loyal troops.

"I hope this will be the last time I have to call on them to fight against my brother," he said wearily.

She looked back out over the horde and said, "I've never seen so many creatures all in one place before. It's an impressive sight." Shifting slightly, she checked that her dirk was properly fastened and adjusted it.

He grunted in agreement. "It's most likely the reason Geks hasn't gained the upper hand yet. I command the larger army."

"Why do any of them follow Geks anyway?" she wondered aloud.

"Greed, most likely. He probably promised them something he doesn't have, but will have once he takes my throne. Territory being the biggest prize to be gained. Though the forest is generous with its resources, this particular section is the most protected and rich." He glanced sidelong at her. "Plus, if he takes my castle he'll be able to convince the lot down there to follow him too. They are loyal, but for most of them, their loyalty is simplistic. They will follow the winner. And so far, that has been me." He grinned at her then with false menace, showing off his sharp, jagged teeth.

Her lips quirked up as she tried to suppress a laugh.

He cleared his throat, became serious once again and said, "I am concerned that there has been no sign of my brother though. The mushrooms saw him leave his hive but while his army marched on foot through the forest, he ascended above the treetops and went out of sight. There's been no news of him since."

He ground his teeth in frustration. "This attack on my castle is probably just a distraction."

Griselda came out of the castle entrance holding Plum's branch followed by Stuff, Thang, and a dozen large, well-armored goblins. She walked up to her son while the others held back and handed the magical prison to him. He took it in his free hand and nodded.

"Everyone is ready. You best be off," she said. She moved over to Marianne and whispered loudly, "Take care of him." And she tilted her head in Bog's direction.

He rolled his eyes but kindly said, "We'll be fine, mother."

Griselda pointed a thumb at Marianne and replied, "Well, _she'll_ be fine. It's you I'm worried about." And she gave Marianne a wink.

He turned to Marianne and said, "We're going to walk to the wellspring with a small company of armed guards. I don't know my brother's whereabouts and I don't want what happened to us near the veil to happen again." He shifted nervously and glanced at his feet. "I would feel better if you would stay here."

Marianne sighed. "Bog, just look at that," she said, pointing out at the army of goblins massing to repel an invasion. "There's danger here, too. And there's no telling where Geks is either. He could drop into the castle and take me again while you're away before your guards could stop him." She looked directly at him and continued, "Geks won't hurt his mother, but _I'm_ safer with _you_."

Griselda clasped her hands together and grinned at the two of them. "She's right you know, and you'd better go now. The sun is almost down." She flapped her hands at them to shoo them along.

So they began their journey, Bog and Marianne in the lead with Stuff and Thang by their sides and a posse of goblins trailing closely behind them. Griselda waved to them until they were out of sight, then went back inside the castle to weather the coming onslaught.

……

They crept through the forest, quietly winding their way deeper towards its center following Plums direction. Every so often she would send a beam of pale blue light off into the distance to show them the way, but most of the time a quick vocal instruction is all that was needed. Bog knew his forest well, but as they approached the center, he noticed it was becoming unfamiliar and he was starting to feel uneasy. He thought he knew every inch of this land and was unsettled to know there was a section just blanked from his mind. Warding spells were powerful magic, he thought, and shivered a little.

The closer they got to their destination, the greener the goblins appeared to get. One belched wetly and Marianne looked disgusted, already battling her own sour stomach. Bog noticed her cringe at the sound and admonished his underling by quietly chiding him using nothing but his name.

"Brutus!" he hissed.

"Sorry boss," Brutus replied. "My belly doesn't feel right."

Plum's voice rang out loudly, "It's the warding spells. It just means we're close! Try and ignore it and think of the smell of crushed pine needles. It should help."

Bog shook her cage and shushed her. "Be quiet, fool! You'll give away our position!"

"Well it shouldn't matter much now, the wellspring is just up ahead in that clearing. We're here!" Plum cried gleefully and sent a beam of light ahead through the last of the trees where it stopped and hovered above a patch of unusual purple flowers. The blue light wavered and bent strangely in mid-air, giving away the location of the camouflaged wellspring.

They cautiously moved towards their goal, feeling sicker with every step until suddenly Geks and a band of his minions dropped out of a nearby tree and approached them. He looked smug and was carrying a large branch with a spun cage much like the one plum was trapped in, but it was strange and dark. It appeared to pull light into it and it was so much bigger than the prison crafted for Plum.

"He finished it? But how?" Plum whispered, confused. Marianne heard her and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Geks, trying to figure out what he was playing at. Was he bluffing? Was the trap intended for Bog truly functional now?

Bog growled and without taking his eyes off his brother, passed Plum back behind him. Brutus took her and moved to the center of the group of guards. "Don't let them get their hands on her," Bog ordered.

Geks laughed. "Hello to you too, _brother_. I see you found something that belongs to me." His eyes flicked from Plum to Marianne. " _Two_ somethings," he clarified and bared his teeth.

Marianne, ignoring her objectification, asked him, "So, how'd you finish building your bro-trap after I liberated myself and Plum from your clumsy prison?"

He bristled and said, "Funny you should ask." Then he snapped his fingers and a minion stepped out from behind him. The large goblin was carrying a limp looking little fairy with short blonde hair. She had on a pale blue dress and her wings were the color of the sunrise.

"But how could another fairy pass the veil without my knowledge — those dratted mushrooms," Bog muttered, knowing full well he was so distracted the past couple of days, any number of fairies could have passed through and he wouldn't have known. And then he noticed Marianne. She was shaking and had gone white as moonlight.

"Dawn!" she cried out and tried to lunge forward, but Bog held her back. She looked up at him frantically and said, "That's my _sister_! _He has my sister_!"

Bog had never heard her like this. She was frightened. Really and truly frightened and he felt instantly protective of that strange little fairy that meant so much to Marianne.

Geks smugly said, "It was truly a stroke of good luck that shortly after you took your leave, this little bit of fluff appeared looking for you. She said she was _worried_ about you, and when she couldn't find you she went searching for clues to where you may have gone. She discovered a bunch of research in your house all about the veil and didn't truly believe any of it was real or that you'd actually be here, but she came looking anyway." Smiling now he continued, "It just so happened that I was there to assure her it was all very, _very_ real, and that you and I had met. In fact, I told her that you were staying at my home while you visited our forest for this very short time the veil would be open and I offered to bring her to you."

He scoffed. "So trusting. So naive."

Tears of rage had sprung to Marianne's eyes. "But how did you extract her magic without Plum?" she asked through clenched teeth.

Geks poked Dawn with the end of the branch he was holding and the goblin flipped her forward off his shoulder so the bruised and broken bare skin of her face and arms became visible. "As you can see, it wasn't easy." He grinned. "For _either_ of us."

Dawn was a mess. It looked like the magic was beaten out of her. Geks continued, "Those mushrooms are quite useful. It turns out, there's more than one way to drain a fairy."

And with those words the goblin holding Dawn threw her to the ground in front of Marianne which set of a chain reaction of chaos.

Dawn hit the ground hard and Marianne swooped down to scoop her up and get her out of the way. Bog snarled viciously and leapt at his brother while all the various minions charged into the fray in an effort to help their respective lords. Geks was desperately trying to bring the prison branch down onto his brother's head, but Bog, well versed in his brother's tactics parried, dodged and deflected every attempt.

……

Marianne flew with her sister until she was far enough away from the fighting that she felt safe and laid her down at the base of a tree. She frantically checked for signs of life and was relieved when she felt the pulse of her heartbeat and the soft flutter of her breath.

She called her magic and let it bathe her sister in its healing light. It licked down her arms quickly and she could feel it tug deep within her as it raced to repair the damages inflicted. So close to the wellspring, she thrummed with power, but tapping into the great fount of the wellspring was weakening her. In order to conserve some strength for the fight ahead, she reluctantly pulled back. She healed Dawn just enough to make sure she was stable and then stood with angry resolve. Her sister was still asleep and probably would be for some time, so Marianne freed her dirk from its scabbard and flew back to the battle.

She crashed into the fight with a raged filled battle cry, trying to make her way to Plum. Before she could help Bog, she had to get Plum into the wellspring so that would be one less thing to worry about. Soon she had made her way to Brutus who was trying to hold Plum safely out of the way and fight off an attacker. Having such a large and capable fighter handicapped like that just wouldn't do.

Grabbing the branch she yelled, "Brutus! I'll take her! I can get her home! Cover me!" He released his death grip from the branch and smiled with appreciation and understanding. Bellowing, and now unencumbered, he threw himself into the fight, knocking heads and flinging bodies, helping to make a path to the small patch of purple flowers where the wellspring hovered.

Stuff and Thang were there doing the best they could, but loyal though they were, they were terrible in combat. Marianne handed Stuff the branch so she could fend off attacks from the side opposite Brutus. Thang was surprised when Stuff didn't pass it directly to him and order him to hold it. He proudly stood in front of her, snarling and looking as vicious as possible.

Between the two of them, Brutus and Marianne cleared an easy path right up to the wellspring with Stuff and Thang protected in the middle. Feeling like she had a rotten berry rolling around in her gut, Marianne took the branch from Stuff and held it up to look inside.

"So, I suppose this is good-bye! There isn't a lot of time but I just wanted to say, thanks for everything! And I'll miss you!" She had to yell to be heard above all the noise going on around her. Another goblin tried to rush her but she slashed a deep wound down its arm and it ran away screaming.

Plum shouted, "I hate good-byes! So, until we meet again!" She blew a kiss and without further ado Marianne tossed Plum, branch and all, into the wellspring where she disappeared with a small pop.

Elated, like she just won a small victory, she turned her attention now to Geks, wanting nothing more than to sink her blade into him and make him suffer for what he did to her sister.

Unfortunately Bog saw Marianne fly back into the tangle of goblins, her dirk flashing brightly as she hacked and slashed at Geks' followers. His concentration was now divided between trying to keep an eye on her as well as deflecting attacks, allowing his brother to gain the advantage. Marianne turned just in time to see Geks drop his prison down and engulf Bog, causing him to disappear into the depths of the inky blackness as if he never was.

Witnessing Bog's capture, and Geks gloating over his victory, provoked Marianne to burn with a deep fury. She felt her magic come to her unbidden. Bright, angry red light flared along her arms and down her hands, reaching her dirk. It hesitated at the metal before curling down its length, engulfing it. She launched herself at Geks with a mad frenzy forcing him to drop Bog's prison.

Geks whistled shrilly and a minion tossed him his spear. He lunged at her with confidence, riding the high of finally capturing his brother. She swung her dirk and it cut through his weapon like it was nothing. The sliced end of his spear sizzled and burned with a magical fire and he dropped it in shock.

Frantic and scared now, he looked for salvation. He saw Bog's prison branch and he dove for it, scooping it up and holding it in front of himself like a shield, gambling that she wouldn't risk hurting Bog to get to him.

Enraged, Marianne released her dirk and flew up, flipped and dropped behind him gripping him around his throat with her bare hands. He howled in pain as her magic entered him and released his hold on the branch in shock, letting it fall to the ground. He reached up to try and pull her off but, when he grabbed her wrists, he was burned as if he had laid hands on hot iron.

She was inside him now.

She was _unmaking_ him.

She was pulling him apart, fiber by fiber, feeling him unravel under her touch. She was a torrential fount of rage and hate and vengeance unleashed upon him, and she was out of control. She was fueled by thoughts of Bog, and how long he's suffered as well as thoughts of her own sister and how much pain she must have endured. She heard someone screaming then, sounding so far away, and it took a moment before she realized it was herself.

Then quietly, a small voice in the back of her mind broke through her blinding fury and said, "This is not the way."

Startled, she pulled back then, letting go, and Geks' twitching body fell to the ground in an ungainly heap. An acrid smell hung in the air as she knelt down to take a good look at what she had done. He was a bloody and broken mess, but still alive. The clearing was unusually silent and she looked up to see that all the goblins had stopped fighting. She stood slowly and they watched her with quiet awe.

The rules of the fittest.

Just so.

"Pick him up," she ordered.

The closest few ran to comply. She noticed that some were Bog's followers, and the some were not. They came together to lift Geks from the ground then looked to her. They waited for her instructions. She pointed at the wellspring and said, "Toss him in."

He was Plum's problem now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I appreciate you reading this. If you got this far and are still here with me... I puffy-heart the crap out of you. <3<3<3


	13. Sweet Surrender

Exhausted, she picked up Bog's prison and tried to look inside. She couldn't see anything except a swirling mass of darkness. It was like he was simply just… gone. Invasive thoughts assaulted her. Was he in pain? Could he see her? Was he even still alive? Maybe Geks screwed up the construction and accidentally…

No. She would banish the thoughts from her mind. If she didn't think them, they couldn't even be a possibility. He's fine. He's just in stasis, just like Geks intended. Impulsively she put her hand inside the prison, in an attempt to reach him, but all she felt was a numb tingling that took away all feeling in her extremity. She pulled her hand out of the trap quickly and shook it, feeling the tingling pinpricks of life returning to her fingers.

The ring! It was a long shot, she knew. If Bog's whole being was as numb as her hand had been, there was little chance he'd be able to reply even if he could hear her. She tremulously puffed a little breath of air over the amber stone and it flared to life.

"Bog?" Her breath hitched which caused her voice to trail off abruptly. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she tried again. "Bog? If you can hear me, please answer."

Silence. The ring glowed with life, but there was no response.

"I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'll get you out of there. I swear it!" She waited a moment more, straining to hear anything. When she couldn't bear the silence any longer, she shook her hand, deactivating the ring.

Overwhelmed with emotion she called her magic once again and gently touched the edges of the fibers with her golden flames. She could sense the stolen magic shift, but she wasn't able to break it. She concentrated harder, sweat beading on her brow.

It was no use. It was a tangle of knots she was unable to budge. Crying openly now she knew she could save him by tossing the whole prison into the wellspring, but she wasn't going to risk losing him to save him unless it was a last resort. She had one idea left, though she didn't know if it would work.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked for Brutus. Spotting him in the crowd she beckoned him to her and asked him to hold Bog's branch and keep it close. He nodded and did as he was asked. She stepped over to the wellspring, her stomach churning with nerves as well as the magic from the wards, and Brutus followed dutifully. Her magic was still slowly flickering along her arms.

She only hesitated for a moment before plunging her hand into the wellspring. White light instantly crawled up her arm like glowing vines until it reached her heart and latched on, causing it to flutter and beat erratically. She shuddered but stood firm and reached out with her other hand, placing it on the magical prison Geks built. Her powers, now tapped directly into the source, raced through the twists and turns of the dark orb, slowly taking it apart. She stood there for an eternity, or quite possibly only a few minutes — there was no way to know as she had lost all sense of time. Her mind flew from knot to knot with one thought.

_She had to keep going, she had to save him._

She felt like she was breaking apart and coming undone with her efforts but she couldn't stop; and just as she was about to lose herself completely, she felt Bog's strong hands pull her away from the wellspring, separating her from the searing power within. She collapsed against him sobbing. He held her close, murmuring small comforts. She reached up to try and put her arms around him but she couldn't quite do it, and he lifted her then so she could. She curled her arms around his neck and tucked her head under his chin sighing the blissful sigh one utterly relieved.

In a shaky voice she whispered, "I seem to be making a habit out of saving you."

His laughter rippled through her. "I saved you first. I think we're even."

She nuzzled closer. "Fine. We saved each other."

"Agreed," he said, and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

She reached up and gently booped his nose with her finger before letting her arm flop limply back around his neck.

Glancing up at the sky she realized there were only a few hours of night left before the veil would close. Fear lanced through her and she said, "We have to get Dawn. I left her by a tree in the forest."

"Well. That narrows it down," he said with a chuckle. "Don't worry. I know exactly where she is." And he put his nose against her head and sniffed deeply.

"Ah, right. The famous fairy fragrance. How could I forget?" She squeezed him softly. "All right then. Let's get going. Sunny would never forgive me if I let Dawn get trapped here for a hundred years."

"Yea, about that. The veil may not stay up for another hundred years," he said.

"What?" Marianne shifted to try and see him better.

"We'll talk about it later, let's take care of your sister first." His wings blurred to life and he rose off the ground. He flew over to where her dirk was glinting on the ground and set her down so she could latch it properly in its scabbard. While she was doing that, he picked his staff up from where he dropped it in order to pull her from the wellspring, then gathering her back up to him, he took to the air once again.

He called for his minions and told them to head back to the castle. Geks' minions stood looking at the ground forlornly until Marianne said, "The rest of you, too. Gather up what's left of your ranks and everyone head to the castle. And no biting." Happily, they rushed off to spread the word.

Bog looked at her with confusion. "What—"

"I inherited an army," she said with a little shrug.

"Oh?" He raised a leafy eyebrow.

"I didn't just chase your brother off. I tore him inside out in front of everyone and then ordered them to toss him into the wellspring. I'm sure Plum is just tickled with her new houseguest."

Bog threw his head back and laughed like she never heard him laugh before. Pure joy radiated from him.

"You are, without a doubt, the best thing that's ever happened to this forest," he crowed and flew quickly in Dawn's direction.

The wind whipped through her hair as she trailed her finger along his jaw and sweetly said, "Just to the forest?"

He brought his head down so his lips gently brushed her neck, slowly tracing his way to her ear, where he softly breathed, "I _am_ the forest."

Shivers cascaded through her and she closed her eyes, feeling her breath catch in her throat.

And just like that, she lost herself to him completely.

……

Bog and Marianne reached the spot where Dawn was left and they found her there, still asleep. Marianne insisted she felt ok enough to fly, and though reluctant to leave his arms, she gave up the spot so her sister could be carried. With Dawn safely cradled in Bog's arms, they rushed to his castle.

As they got close, they slowed and flew over the carnage from the battle that raged between the two armies, surveying the damage. It was a terrible waste of life. The dead were being tossed in a pile to be burnt and the many wounded were limping back to the castle to be tended as best they could.

They entered the castle and discovered the throne room had been turned into a makeshift triage station. Griselda and the few goblins she was able to browbeat into helping were overwhelmed. Running here and there, applying bandages and sopping up ichor. She caught sight of them and her hands flew to her mouth, a little gasp escaping.

" _My son_!" she cried, and ran to embrace him as well as she was able. Then she moved to Marianne and gave her the same joyous welcome; pulling her down into a clumsy embrace and patting her cheeks. Noticing the unconscious fairy in her son's arms she exclaimed, "And what do we have here?"

"This is my sister, Dawn," Marianne explained. "She came looking for me and found Geks instead."

Griselda's mouth formed a grim line and her brow furrowed in understanding. She walked over to an empty cot and motioned them to follow. "Come. Lay her here and let's see what we can do."

Bog gently lay Dawn on the temporary bed and Griselda began to rummage through her case of medicinal potions and herbs. Marianne put her hand softly on Griselda's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. I've got this."

Griselda stepped out of the way and stood next to Bog. Marianne took her place and stood over her sister, then threw her hands out with a little flourish, calling her magic as if she'd been doing it for years. It danced along her flesh, happily curling and whisping and ready. With a cocky little half grin she lay her hands upon her prone sibling and went to work.

Griselda laughed and elbowed her son. "Oh, I want to _keep_ her."

Bog replied softly, "So do I."

She looked at her son in surprise and tears sprung to her eyes. She hugged him and whispered, "Finally."

He gruffly peeled her off of him and quietly said, "That's enough, mother. I will not keep her against her will." He watched her work then. His thoroughly amazing, completely courageous, obnoxiously curious, undeniably tough girl. This little creature who sees him in ways he never would have seen for himself and makes him want to be all that for her, and more.

"She has to want to stay," he whispered.

Soon, Dawn stirred and opened her eyes. Marianne sent her magic away, and pulled her sister into a fierce hug. "I'm so glad you're ok!" And with that pleasantry out of the way, she gave her sister a shake and yelled, "What were you thinking! Coming through the veil all alone, with so little time left before the closure! Did you even tell Sunny where you were going?"

Tears spilled from Dawn's eyes and she threw herself at Marianne, giving her an equally crushing embrace. "No! I didn't tell him! I thought you'd be right inside and I could tell you to come home and be back before he missed me. I didn't even think I'd be able to pass through to be honest! And there was this awful thing there, and he _LIED TO ME!_ He said you were staying with him, oh and he _hurt_ me, he…" She pulled away then and examined herself, realizing all her hurts were healed. "What? I was a _total mess_. Oh, but… I don't understand—"

"You. Drive. Me. Crazy!" Marianne said, punctuating every word with a little shake of her sister's shoulders. Then she kissed Dawn on her forehead. "There's powerful magic on this side, so you're all fixed up now and it'll be ok. We still have a little time left to get you home. The Veil isn't far from here—"

Marianne saw her sister blanch when she caught sight of Bog. Dawn began to shake and her grip on her sister's arms became vice-like. She hissed, "There's _another one!_ "

Bog shifted uncomfortably under such harsh scrutiny and held his staff in front of him as if to hide.

Marianne put her hands on her sister's cheeks and forced her to look into her eyes. Blue met amber and Marianne said, "That's Bog. He's the elder brother of the one that hurt you. That's all. They are _nothing alike_." Marianne furiously motioned for Bog to step closer so she could properly introduce them.

Bog stepped closer and knelt at Dawn's bedside. He held out his hand to her and waited. Still frightened, but with the utmost trust in her sister, she placed her small hand in his clawed one. Before he could say a word, her eyes unfocused, then hyper-dilated and began to move rapidly as if she was asleep with her eyes wide open. A soft blue light haloed her head and Bog dared not move.

"What's happening?" he asked fearfully.

"I'm not sure, but I think we're about to find out what her power is," said Marianne.

Bog turned a paler shade of grey and swallowed hard. "Oh, by all the various gods. She's going to destroy me in my own castle."

"I think if she were going to harm you, you'd have felt something by now," said Marianne reassuringly. "She _is_ my sister, so perhaps we have similar types of magic — though that _could_ go one of two ways. But, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Bog just shook his head, still terrified.

And just as soon as it came over her, the blue mist dissipated, her eyes refocused and she blinked. Dawn was looking at him now, so very strangely. Grinning for all she was worth, she gripped his hand in both of her own, and bounced up onto her knees, wings fluttering behind her. "Oh, OH! What was that?! I saw… what did I see? Was it a dream? Oh, it was such a _good dream_. You've lived a long time. A long, long time. You're older than _dirt!_ And so lonely. But you're going to be _so happy!_ "

"I… uh, don't—" he stuttered, confused, trying to pull his hand away but failing. Dawn grabbed her sister's hand and brought it to Bog's, clasping them both together. "You're both going to be _so happy!_ And that makes me happy, too!" And then she collapsed back on the cot, tinkling laughter bubbling from her.

"Now, _that's_ the Dawn I'm used to." Marianne glanced at Bog, then pulled her sister to a sitting position and said, "We don't have much time left. We have to get to the veil. I just need to grab my satchel and we can go."

Dawn slid off the bed and followed her sister, happily chatting away, no longer afraid of Bog or the denizens of the castle.

Bog turned to his mother and said, "She's completely crazy."

Griselda shook her head and snortled, then went back to tending the injured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied to myself. I thought this was the last chapter, but it wasn't.


	14. Until We Meet Again

Marianne made her way to the room she had come to think of as her own for the short time she had been here, with Dawn following close behind. She went over to the bed and picked up the satchel, feeling the weight of it, before slinging it over her shoulder. With a heavy heart she took one last look around the room, then turned to her sister and said, "I guess that's it. We'd better hurry."

As Marianne passed her to leave, Dawn reached out and grasped her arm. "Hey, it's going to be ok, you know."

Marianne's shoulders slumped. "No, I don't know. Not for sure. Not the way you do."

Dawn hugged her sister tightly then and said, "Well, then I'll know for the both of us. You'll just have to trust me." With a glint in her eye, she flicked her wings lightly. "Race you to the entrance!" And with that, she spread her wings and flew out the door, her laughter echoing down the long hall.

Marianne, not one to be outdone by her little sister, smiled and gave chase.

……

Dawn stood next to Bog at the entrance of the great oak breathing heavily, eyes sparkling and her hands on her hips. Marianne shot out of the entryway a second later and pulled up short to alight next to her sister, panting and out of breath. With laughter in her voice, Dawn remarked, "Getting a bit slow are we?"

"Cork it. You had a head start and I'm carrying this," Marianne replied, gesturing to her burdensome satchel. She adjusted it and resettled her wings.

Dawn closed her eyes and tilted her head back as her breathing returned to normal, grinning to the star-filled sky. "Aw, don't be sore. You know the only way I could beat you is if you were held up in some way."

Bog cleared his throat and they both turned their attention to him. "Not that I'm not amused by your familial banter," he said with a little half-smile as he pointed to the moon, which was especially bright tonight, "but we're a bit short on time." He leapt into the air, his wings blurring to life and motioned for them to follow.

As they flew through the forest, Marianne felt the weight of the decision she had to make pressing down on her. She flapped slower as thoughts raced through her mind until she began to fall behind. A sharp whistle from up ahead in the darkness roused her from her contemplation and she gripped the strap of her bag tighter. With a little shake of her head she focused and hurried to catch up.

When they got close to the barrier between their two lands, Bog slowed and descended to the forest floor where the three unlikely companions walked the last short distance to their destination. Dawn heard a snap deep in the underbrush and she brought her hands up under her chin, backing away from the sound. Bog waved his hand dismissively and said, "It's just a pereprin. Don't be afraid. As long as we don't bother it, it won't bother us."

Dawn, her eyes still wide, whispered, "But how do we know if we're bothering it?"

"Oh, you'll know," replied Bog knowingly.

……

They reached the veil a short while later and Bog stood reservedly to the side, clutching his staff, while the two sisters walked slowly up to the magical curtain that rose before them. Dawn poked her finger in gently, dragging it through in a little swirl. The ripples that formed pulsed outward in small waves, elongating the further away they drifted from the point of disturbance.

Marianne sighed and said, "I don't know what to do." She placed her hand flat upon the veil, feeling the low warmth emanating from it, her own ripples cascading over her sister's causing new patterns to form.

Dawn turned to face her sister and said, "Yes you do." She reached out then with the finger she had trailed through the veil and tapped Marianne over her heart. "Just listen to what's in here." Then touched her forehead and continued, "Not what's up here."

Dawn looked up at the sky, collecting her thoughts before saying, "Marianne. For as long as I've known you — and that's been for my entire life, so I think I know what I'm talking about — you've been so rational about everything you do. You make plans and do research and look for purpose, but sometimes," and she stole a glance back at Bog, "sometimes you just have to go with your first instinct because it's usually right."

"But what about —"

Dawn brought her hand up and shushed Marianne by lightly touching her lips with the tips of her fingers. "I'll be fine," she said with confidence, then lowered her hand to rest upon her sister's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"But I may never see you again," Marianne wailed and flung herself at Dawn, enveloping her in a grasping hug.

Bog cleared his throat wanting desperately to speak with Marianne, yet was unwilling to pull her away prematurely. Dawn, being ever receptive and empathetic, noticed this and returned her sister's embrace with equal vigor before gently peeling herself away.

"I know we'll see each other again. I do. You'll just have to trust me," comforted Dawn then she lowered her voice and continued, "but I think Bog wants to speak with you privately so I'm going to just step over to the other side to give you two a moment." Then she stepped across the border leaving large swelling waves bobbing across the surface in her wake. She turned then and waved her arms silently, pointed to her ears and then shrugged her shoulders indicating that she couldn't hear a thing while the veil separated them. Bog shot her a grateful look.

Marianne stepped over to Bog and his wings twitched nervously. She held onto the strap of her satchel like it was a lifeline anchoring her to this reality.

"So," she said quietly.

"So," he replied and took a deep breath. The sounds of the forest seemed to grow louder as their voices stilled.

"I just," he started cautiously. "I just wanted you to know, before you decide what you're going to do, that Plum could drop the veil at any moment."

"Oh?" Marianne looked up at him now, hopeful.

"Yea, uh… you see, she's planning on coming back to undo all this," he said as he waved his hand in the general direction of the veil. Dawn saw him and waved back, grinning. Bog didn't notice, his eyes locked on Marianne. "She said something about time being a bit off where she is, so she couldn't say when exactly she'd be back. Just that she'd return as quickly as she could. It could be as soon as tomorrow or as long as… years."

"Oh." Marianne's shoulders drooped and she cast her eyes to the ground. "Years..."

"Or days!" he countered.

She blinked back tears as she stood awkwardly before him. She wanted to do the right thing, but couldn't seem to settle on what that was. She knew what she _wanted_ to do, but it conflicted with what she thought she _ought_ to do. She glanced at Dawn standing beyond the veil, took a deep breath and said in a rush, "I worry for my sister because besides Sunny, I'm all she's got! Well, I mean, she's got loads of friends but…"

Dawn stuck her face into the veil so only her nose and lips poked through and said, "I can't hear what you're saying but you don't look happy so I just want to tell you, I'll be fine! I MEAN IT! Will you just tell him you love him already, it's almost moondown!" She pulled her head back through the veil and gave them a big smile and a double thumbs-up.

A strangled sound escaped Marianne's throat.

Bog knelt down so he was closer to her eye level, looked up at her and said, "We're running out of time and I need to be honest. I don't want you to go. I think if you did, I'd feel like a piece of me was missing every day, from here on after. It's selfish of me to say it and if you don't feel the same, I understand. I mean, I'm… I'm not like you." He trailed off, his last words seeming to die inside him. While Bog spoke Marianne's hands rose to her face and she covered her mouth as if to hold herself steady.

He held out his hand then, and she carefully placed hers within his grasp. She examined them together, stretching her fingers wide, her entire hand just barely covering his palm. His were rough and hers, fairly smooth. Her nails were delicate ovals that extended only slightly beyond her fingertip, while he had long jagged claws. They had plenty of physical differences, but she knew they had many unseen similarities. She trailed her fingers along his palm, driving him quietly mad.

She found her voice and shyly said, "I know we're different but, I sort of like that. And I don't want to leave. When I'm with you, I'm just… I'm so…" She sighed, frustrated at her lack of words. She fumbled for the right thing to say, then looked him in the eyes and said with complete conviction, "I'm happy, Bog. When I'm with you, I can truly say I'm happy. The last few times I summoned my magic, I wasn't thinking about this," and she dropped her satchel containing her field journal to the ground. She grasped his hand in both of hers and continued, "I've been thinking about _you_. You are my happy thought."

He stood, sweeping her up in a tight embrace and she laughed, tossing her head back with elation and relief. And when she looked at him again he was so close, and radiating such joy she took her sister's advice, listened to her heart, and kissed him. He was shocked at first, his arms tightening around her reflexively at the unexpected contact. Then he relaxed and followed her lead. It was gentle and tentative, but held great promise.

When she pulled away he stayed there for a moment, eyes closed and lips puckered, as if by holding that pose he could retain the feeling just a little longer, and maintain the illusion that she was still pressed to him — that perhaps maybe it wasn't really over.

She chuckled low, placed another quick kiss on his waiting lips and said, "If I stayed, could you promise me a place of my own?"

"What?" he asked, his eyes flew open, filled with confusion. "You don't want to live in the castle?"

She kissed him on the cheek then, as if to sooth the hurt of her question. "Oh I do, I really do. I just want to be sure that, no matter what, there would be a place that was just mine." She maneuvered over to kiss his other cheek lightly causing his eyes to flutter closed. Her nearness was intoxicating. He dropped his head to neck and breathed her in. The roughness of his jaw scraping along her skin sent shivers up her spine, forcing her wings to twitch involuntarily.

She gasped and her grip on him tightened. Breathlessly she explained, "You see… _oh_. I've gotten used to having my own place. And we have only just met." Another touch sent tingles rippling over her. " _Ahh_ … I mean, what if in a few weeks you're utterly sick of me and want to be rid of me? What's a girl to do? Stuck way out here, cut off from all that's familiar? No family…"

He snarled then, deep and protective, tensing up. "I would _never_ …" Her arms were already around him and she let her fingers trail lightly down his back. He shuddered then, all the fight knocked right out of him. He collected himself and continued. "I would never abandon you. Ever. But if it would give you comfort to have a place of your own, I will have one built. Anywhere you wish."

Satisfied, she said, "I have to say good-bye to Dawn."

He gently lowered her to the ground. She picked up her discarded satchel and removed the field journal, opened it, then flipped through a few pages before closing it with satisfaction. She looked up at him and asked, "Is it ok?" and raised the book a little, giving it a tiny shake.

He nodded.

She hugged the book to her chest and stepped across the threshold to speak with her sister.

Dawn leapt at her immediately, smothering her with sisterly affection and exclaimed, "I know!"

"Urgh, that won't get annoying or anything," said Marianne, rolling her eyes.

"I'm so happy for you. I really am! And I know we're going to see each other again soon. I mean, I'm not positive, but when I saw… well, you know. You didn't look ancient or anything. You looked like you look now, but super happy. I mean, you look happy now, but still a little worried." Dawn pressed her thumbs to her sister's forehead and smoothed it. "You're going to get all wrinkly if you keep doing that with your face, you know. Scrunching it up like that."

Marianne raised up the field journal like a shield to force her sister to stop trying to smooth the wrinkles out of her forehead and said, "Hey, seriously. Aside from saying good-bye I wanted to give you this." She thrust her arms out and handed the book to her. Dawn took it reverently, as if she knew how much it meant.

"I'll keep it safe for you," Dawn said solemnly. "I promise."

Marianne hugged her tightly. "I love you and I'm really going to miss you."

Dawn sniffled a little. "I love you, too. But you know, this isn't good-bye. Not really."

Marianne chuckled and said, "Then, like a wise old good-bye-hating fairy once said — until we meet again."

Dawn kissed her sister on the cheek and said, "You'd better get back to Bog. He looks sick to death that you're over here."

They both looked over at him and giggled, then Dawn, holding the precious field journal close, took wing and flew in the direction of home, calling behind her one final time, "I'll miss you! Have fun!"

Marianne watched her until she was out of sight, then crossed back over into the Dark Forest with a sly grin and whispered, "I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is finally the end. Unless someone wants an epilogue or something. 
> 
> Special thanks to pereprin for encouraging me to write when I didn't think I had anything to write about tonight. I was only going to write my mandatory three sentences but once I started, I just kept going. She saved this from becoming yet another thing I started and didn't finish.
> 
> The original ending I had in my head when I started writing: Marianne chose to stay in the forest knowing she'd never see the light fields again, and after making her decision, slid the journal across the boundary before it solidified in the hopes that someone would stumble across it and learn everything she had learned. *Camera slowly pans away from the book resting abandoned on the ground as music swells / Fade to black / Roll credits*
> 
> Dawn showing up was just sort of an accident. My brain had an accident and it was Dawn.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading. <3 I lofe you all.


End file.
